RE: AT&T Enforcing SMS Opt-Outs | XM Community
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RE: AT&T Enforcing SMS Opt-Outs

  • 22 October 2020
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Hello!
I received the email regarding AT&T enforcing SMS Opt-Outs and I'm not sure if my SMS survey falls into this category or not (copy below). I have a 2-way SMS survey setup that is sent to internal employees to administer their daily health screening for COVID. This is a conversational message but it is initiated by us (the business). But since it's sent to our own team members I'm unsure.
Any one else have similar situation? Do I need to add opt-out option to my initial text to my own team members?

RE: AT&T Enforcing SMS Opt-Outs
This message is to inform you that AT&T has recently stated that they are increasing their enforcement of CTIA Guidelines due to a growing number of customer complaints regarding unwanted messages. Specifically, AT&T has stated that they will closely monitor opt-out language for 10-digit code traffic as they analyze customer complaints. 
In short, Qualtrics users must add “STOP”, or opt-out, language to every informational and promotional message of your SMS campaigns. If you don’t take this action, you should expect filtering or blocking of messages sent to AT&T customers. 
What is the change? 
Due to a growing number of end user complaints, AT&T will be more heavily filtering messages initiated by businesses or organizations via 10-digit long codes to AT&T customers if they do not have a clear description of how to opt-out in every message. These rules apply to any traffic that the CTIA considers “informational” or “promotional” (defined in the chart below from the CTIA Guidelines). 
In other words, every message that is not a direct response to a message from a consumer must include clear STOP language, not just the first message sent to that particular consumer. Investigations of STOP language will be driven by complaints.
The only exception to AT&T’s policy of having opt-out language in every message is messages that are direct replies to a consumer-initiated message. For example, if a user texts “Hello, where can I go to register?” and you send a response, that response does not need to include opt-out information. Such a response is considered “conversational”.
Source: CTIA
What action do I need to take?
If informational or promotional (as defined by the CTIA) messages initiated by your organization via 10-digit long codes do not have “STOP” language in every message in the distribution, it will need to be added to all future messages. This applies to new messages to a user you have previously sent messages to.
If conversational (as defined by the CTIA) messages initiated by your organization via 10-digit long codes do not have “STOP” language, it will need to be added to the first question in the survey.
This means:

  • For surveys started via Access Code, opt out messaging is not required.

  • For 1-way SMS surveys, an opt-out message along the lines of “Text STOP to opt out of this survey” must be included in the invite.

  • For 2-way SMS surveys not started using an Access Code, a message along the lines of “Text STOP to opt out of this survey” must be added to the first question in the survey using the survey editor, and the survey should be published again.


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Best answer by LaurenK 28 October 2020, 16:02

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Hi ShelbyS! You'll still need to add the opt-out option to your initial text. It is not about the recipient list, but rather about the instruction to the end-user on how to opt-out. AT&T doesn't know if the recipient is the company employee, but knows if there is a clear instruction (STOP) on how to opt-out in the message template! If you have any additional questions about this, you'll want to contact our Support team, as they are best equipped to answer questions in regards to this update!

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Thanks LaurenK!

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