Back in June, the ACCC started cracking down on premium SMS providers (premium in this context usually means ‘overpriced’ and ‘waste of money’). Telstra and Optus are now doing their part by funding a service to check if premium SMS providers live up to their claims.
Both Optus and Telstra are paying WMC Global to check local advertising for premium services and to test those services to make sure the ads and offerings comply with both their individual carrier codes and with the general Mobile Premium Services Code. It’s not quite as effective as an outright ban, but realistically that won’t happen, and at least it might shoot down the dodgiest providers faster. As ever, if you’re trying to track down an unknown premium SMS number on your bill, 19 SMS can be useful.
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