Update your privacy policy for SMS

As part of the registration and approval process for your SMS messaging, carriers require that your Privacy Policy and Terms of Service include specific language that outlines how you collect, use, and store customer information and how you manage consent for SMS messaging.

Update your privacy policy

Before you request a sender phone number, you need to update your privacy policy to include information about how you’ll message your audience and use their phone numbers. You must provide links to your privacy policy and terms and conditions on your public website when you submit a request for a sender number.

You’ll need to include information about:

• Collection and use of phone numbers: State that you collect mobile phone numbers when users opt in, explain the types of messages you’ll send, and describe how often they can expect to receive them.
• Data sharing disclosure Required : Explicitly state that you won’t share mobile opt-in data with third parties for marketing or promotional purposes. This is the most scrutinized requirement, and missing it is one of the most common reasons registrations are rejected.
• Opt-out instructions Required : Describe how users can stop receiving messages, such as by replying STOP.
• Data retention: State how long you retain mobile phone numbers and consent records, and what happens to that data when a user opts out.
• Data security: Describe the measures you take to protect mobile data from unauthorized access or disclosure.
• Support contact information: Provide a way for users to contact your organization with privacy-related questions.

Example language

Here is an example of compliant language for your privacy policy:

Terms and conditions

Like your privacy policy, your terms and conditions (or terms of service—however you refer to them) must include the following items. Your terms and conditions must be publicly accessible, preferably as links from your SMS opt-in form.

• Dedicated SMS section Required : Include a section in your terms that specifically covers your SMS messaging program and its rules. This section must stand alone—you can’t satisfy this requirement by bundling it into a general terms acceptance, such as “By accepting our Terms of Use, you also agree to receive text messages.”
• Consent is not a condition of purchase Required : Explicitly state that consenting to receive SMS messages isn’t required to make a purchase or use your services.
• Message frequency: State how often users can expect to receive messages, like “Message frequency varies” or “You may receive up to X messages per month”.
• Opt-out instructions: Describe how to stop receiving messages—including by replying STOP or by contacting your support team directly. Users may opt out through any reasonable method, and you must honor all requests.
• Help instructions: Explain how users can get assistance, such as by replying HELP or contacting your support team.
• Carrier disclaimer: State that message and data rates may apply and that carriers aren’t liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
• Privacy policy link: Reference and link to your privacy policy, so users can understand how you handle their mobile data.

Example language

Here is an example of compliant language for your terms and conditions:

Your policies must be publicly accessible

Your privacy policy and terms and conditions must be publicly accessible, preferably as links from your SMS opt-in form and entries in your sitemap.

If these pages aren’t publicly accessible, you might not be approved to send SMS messages.