Australia's direct marketing group seeks SMS curbs

<p>SYDNEY: The Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA) and the </p><p>Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF) are supporting a call </p><p>for controls on unsolicited messages on short messaging services, or </p><p>SMS. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The association's chief executive officer, Rob Edwards, said it was </p><p>clear consumers disliked unsolicited messages and that marketers are </p><p>wasting their time if they are aiming at unresponsive customers. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The two bodies' concerns come after a spate of complaints to </p><p>telecommunications providers about the growing number of unsolicited SMS </p><p>messages, prompting both to work on a code of practice to control its </p><p>use. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The ADMA and the ACIF believe that a voluntary code of practice will be </p><p>enough to correct any abuses because its members have no wish to lose </p><p>actual and potential customers. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Australia has a comparatively small volume of SMS messages currently, </p><p>but Edwards believes that the industry needs to be proactive in its </p><p>stance against potential abuses. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He added that consumer sensitivities are likely to be heightened this </p><p>year with the implementation of rules nationwide about individual </p><p>privacy principles that were passed in 2000 and come into force in </p><p>December. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>