Leaders in the South African mobile services arena have signed a mobile service code of conduct designed to protect consumers from phone spam and hidden charges.
Members of the South African Wireless Application Service Providers Association (WASPA) have signed what they describe as the first mobile services code of conduct in SA to deal directly with preventing spam.
It will also cover elements such as subscription services, mobile content services, including adult content services, and paying for mobile content on the handset.
WASPA was formed in August last year with the support of the three local network operators: Cell C, MTN and Vodacom.
WASPA chairman Leon Perlman says that, whereas SMS spam is a widespread problem, it is not possible to quantify either it, or the hidden costs arising from spam and SMS advertising.
However, industry players noted earlier this year that the "phone spam plague was spreading" as unscrupulous marketers rushed to take advantage of this affordable new advertising medium.
Perlman notes that most spam originates internationally, and WASPA`s code of conduct can only be applied to spam generated locally or enabled by local WASPs.
"This is a very complex field and spam is almost unquantifiable, except that we know it exists," Perlman says, adding that key drivers for the code of conduct are to obtain industry representative body status and impose self-regulation for industry players.
"In this way, we hope to pre-empt hard-regulation from government."
WASPA confirms in a statement that its primary objective is to have its members act responsibly when providing mobile services.
With this in mind, the code also addresses common interests and concerns within the industry around the proposed Convergence Bill and telecom operator charges and services, the association explained.
"Providing mobile content services is a multimillion-dollar global industry - some claim larger than Hollywood - so it is essential that there is a code of conduct and best practices to ensure that the South African market grows responsibly," the statement says.
The WASPA code of conduct states that consumers need to know and understand what they are paying for when it comes to mobile services, they should know exactly how much these services will cost them, and they should be given a forum where they will be able to voice complaints regarding incorrect billing or receiving content not requested.
The code can change as new issues and technologies make this necessary, WASPA said.
This initiative is in line with a growing international trend of other similar organisations, such as ICSTIS in the UK. SA`s newly-adopted code of conduct is one of the most comprehensive codes available and includes a complete set of advertising guidelines, which will be enforced during the next eight weeks, WASPA states.
While the code becomes effective immediately, there is a grace period up until 31 August 2005, to allow for new advertisements and new contracts to be drawn up that make provision for strict adherence to the code.
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