Hong Kong Launches SMS Opt-Out Directory

Hong Kong's telecoms regulator, the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) has announced that the do-not-call register for SMS and MMSs would be launched tomorrow (8th Jan 2008). This is the second do-not-call register since the full commencement of the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (UEMO) on 22 December 2007. The first do-not-call register is for fax.

"The public can register their telephone numbers onto the do-not-call register for short messages to decline unsolicited commercial short messages. The do-not-call register for short messages covers short message service (SMS) messages and multimedia message service (MMS) messages sent over the mobile network as well as short messages sent over the fixed network. Registration can be done by calling the registration hotline 1835001 using the phone of the number they intend to register," a spokesperson of OFTA said.