In September of 2022, Apple released an iOS 16 update which made it much easier for subscribers to “swipe left” and delete a text message. A facet of this update is that it also gives the subscriber the ability to click on one of the radio buttons that classifies the message as SPAM. This action then populates the 7726 SPAM report that is reported to the US Wireless Carriers.
This action has increased the number of SPAM complaints exponentially. As more and more subscribers are swiping left and hitting that “delete and report junk” radio button the numbers continue to go up. The Carriers recognize that these “Spam Complaints” might actually be a false positive, meaning that the consumer did opt-in properly and has been taking part in the campaign previously, but is just not interested in it anymore.
Due to the increased number of spam complaints, the US carriers have instituted a “Opt-In Audit”. These audits are to be treated the same as a Severity-0 Audit from the US Wireless Carriers. These are the items that need to be addressed directly if a brand is the focus of an “Opt-In Audit”.
Brands will need to prove that their campaign is NOT Spam. To do this they must validate and prove the below bullet points. They will have 48 hours to collect this information and return it to Sinch:
- Verify the content provider
- Verify the messaging traffic
- Opt-out percentage (Number of total sends versus the number of people opting out)
- Basic Functionality—HELP/STOP
- Opt-in flow (Prove the Opt-in flow is compliant)
- Brand must prove when the phone # in question opted in (Pull this data up in their logs)
- Brand must prove the CTA is compliant to the Carriers requirements.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your Sinch Account Manager for assistance.
