SHAFT (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, and tobacco) content has been heavily regulated in SMS marketing for years, but the CTIA has recently tightened their rules surrounding this content and is expanding it to include CBD marketing.
It's crucial to make sure your text messaging program is compliant under both the TCPA (legal regulations) and the CTIA guidelines (carrier rules on restricted content). Failure to comply with TCPA or CTIA regulations will result in being blocked from using the Salesmsg platform.
In the CTIA Short Code Handbook, it outlines the categories of messages that cannot be delivered. They also note that the content that is sent must be appropriate for the audience that it is being delivered to.
Banned Content Categories
Depictions or endorsements of violence
Adult or otherwise inappropriate content
Profanity
Hate/discriminatory speech
Endorsement of illegal or illicit drugs
We understand that more and more states are legalizing medical and/or recreational cannabis & CBD use every year. However, Federal Law still prohibits cannabis use. Therefore you cannot send text messages with cannabis or CBD-related content. The carriers have made it clear that they will suspend any account that sends this content.
Alcohol, firearms, and tobacco content is allowed under certain restrictions, but only on short codes that have been specifically approved for these use cases.
If you are a CBD, alcohol, firearms, or tobacco brand, please reach out to our support team in chat or at [email protected]
We are happy to talk through ways to successfully message your audience while safely staying within both the TCPA & the CTIA guidelines.
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