Jordan operators barred from sending promo SMSs

Jordan’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has banned all four mobile operators in the Kingdom from sending promotional bulk SMS messages to its subscribers.

TRC chief commissioner and CEO Ahmad Hiyasat said the decision was made in response to an increasing number of complaints from subscribers, according to state daily Jordan Times.

Under the new directive, operators Zain Jordan, Orange, XPress Telecommunications and Umniah will not be allowed to send promotional text messages to any customer without prior approval.

Additionally, all four operators are now required to provide customers with a free and simple solution to reject unwanted messages.

The TRC also warned that legal action would be taken against any company found flouting the rule.

Spam text messages have been a topic of concern for mobile subscribers across the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates where a recent surge in raffle scams has hit Etisalat customers.