Random SMS dating campaign sparks concerns

A dating agency SMS ad — asking users to text back "Go" if they want to sign up or "Stop" if not - has been sent to random mobile phone users in Edinburgh and is being investigated by industry watchdog, ICSTIS. Such a campaign raises fears of children being sent adult services on their mobiles, as well as concerns of the practice of asking users to pay to stop unwanted messages being sent to them.

According to The Edinburgh News, complaints to ICSTIS have soared in the last couple of years. In 2001 it received about 150 complaints from mobile users. The figure last year was 1200 and in the first six months of this year the number of complaints had jumped to more than 3500.

emily | 5:05 PM | Spam, Viruses and Hoaxes |
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