SHAFT Explained: The SMS Content That Can Get You in Trouble

Compliance is essential in SMS marketing. A single error may lead to message blocking, phone number suspension, or legal fines. One of the key sector guidelines is SHAFT. Knowing about SHAFT helps your business remain compliant and keeps your campaigns running smoothly.

Here is a breakdown of what SHAFT is, the impact it has on SMS marketing, and what your business can do to remain compliant.

What Is SHAFT in SMS Marketing?

SHAFT can also refer to Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco: the five types of content that mobile carriers treat as high-risk or otherwise off-limits in SMS marketing. The CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association) impose these regulations, and they are endorsed by all major U.S. carriers to safeguard consumers against unwanted, offensive, or legally prohibited content being sent to them through text.

Although the recipients might have consented to a message delivery, during which the recipients will be made aware of matters pertaining to SHAFT, there is a likelihood that recipients may filter your messages, block them altogether, or even have your messaging number suspended. These are some of the subjects that should not be used in SMS campaigns by businesses to remain compliant, to enable delivery, and to prevent being fined.

Why Does SHAFT Matter?

In SMS marketing, SHAFT protects both consumers and businesses. Since texting is direct and personal, carriers set codes to prevent the transmission of harmful, offensive, or illegal messages. Even with user consent, message blocking can occur for SHAFT-related issues, harming deliverability and brand credibility.

Violating SHAFT regulations can lead to serious consequences for your business. Carriers may filter or block your messages, deactivate your business number, or report ongoing issues to regulatory authorities. You could also face fines under federal laws such as TCPA. For businesses relying on SMS for marketing or communication, maintaining SHAFT compliance is vital to avoid losing access, damaging your reputation, or incurring legal penalties.

Breaking Down the SHAFT Categories

The guidelines SHAFT contain details about five types of sensitive content that may be limited or forbidden in SMS marketing in general. To know more in detail what falls into each of these categories and why it is seen as high-risk by carriers, let us have a closer look: - 

Sex

These are sexually explicit content, adult services, suggestive language, or the linkages to adult websites. A carrier filter might be edited easily with even mildly suggestive language since SMS is not the right medium to promote adult content. Companies advertising their products in the sexual wellness sector should identify other avenues of making the advertisements without the risk of blocking the messages. 

Hate

Messages with hate speech, discriminatory text, slurs, threats, and information that leads to violence are prohibited. Carriers analyze SMS traffic to determine whether they are indications of harassment or whether what they are saying aims at harassing individuals and groups because of race, religion, gender, nationality or any other identifying key. An isolated message of hateful nature could result in instant blocking and future punishment.

Alcohol

Messages that advertise alcohol should be high-risk unless the sender has checked age-gated consents and all other laws on the local jurisdiction. This entails advertisement of beer, wine, sprits or alcohol programmes. In the absence of strong protective measures, alcohol-related messages can be reported or restricted on the basis of their breach of SHAFT rules and those of individual states.

Firearms

Anything that promotes guns, ammunition, gun accessories, or services of the gun-related matter is included in this category. No SMS can be used to advertise any weapons, irrespective of the legality and licensing of the business. Carriers employ the zero-tolerance policy, and companies trying to bypass it can be black listed.

Tobacco

SMS communications are limited to the use of tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, vapes, e-cigarettes, and cannabis. This involves advertising and promotions, information and even information. Although cannabis has been legalized in some states, even then, it has been categorized in the federal regulations as well as the policy of the carrier as restricted content.

SHAFT Compliance: What Happens If You Violate the Rules?

Some of the consequences of violating the rules of SHAFT could be operational, financial, and as well as legal. This is what may occur in detail:

Carriers message filtering

Mobile carriers can automatically block your SMS content in case of use any terms referring to the SHAFT. This occurs prior to the message getting on the device of the recipient hence drop in deliverability or nil deliverability of messages to the customer is experienced, and marketing spend is lost.

Suspension of phone number

When violations are committed multiple times, your sending number (10DLC, short code, or toll-free) may be suspended or deactivated permanently. This implies that you will no longer be able to communicate with your audience via that number, and your active campaigns will be disrupted.

SMS platforms account termination

Carrier and industry standards are satisfied by SMS systems such as the Falkon SMS. In case of a user sending an SHAFT-related material, the platform would ban or disable the account so as to preserve the reputation of the platform being complaint and avoid fines.

Introduction of TCPA law

Legal Implications- The breach of the violations of the SHAFT can also comprise more comprehensive laws such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). That lays the ground to consumer suits or government intervention. The fines of between 500 and 1,500 dollars per non compliant message may be imposed and even higher fines may be charged when the receiver lacked consent.

Image suffering

Sending contents that are not appropriate or restricted would be detrimental in your businesses. Customers can complain about your texts, unsubscribe or publish their adverse reviews; it will be difficult to form trust again in the future.

Blacklisting by carriers

In severe or recurring instances, the carriers even may block your business or domain, thereby being unable to send any future SMS, even on new numbers or by a different provider. This may heavily restrict you to use SMS as a marketing or communication channel.

Late future campaigns

Should your number be flagged or suspended, then a re-registration process (or an appeal process) has to run, delaying future campaigns. This has the capability of interfering with time-sensitive promotions or customer services.

How to Stay Compliant with SHAFT Regulations

It is extremely important to remain compliant with SHAFT regulations, as this helps you ensure high deliverability and avoid fees as well as damages to your brand reputation. The following are actions that your business can take to ensure that SMS marketing campaigns do not fall outside the limits approved by the law: 

Monitor your message content

Make sure it also lacks status of sex, hate, alcohol, Trigger finger, tobacco, and firearm inductions before sending a particular SMS. Do not use words or emojis in your text message, or phrases that might border on or even subtly hit any of these categories.

Avoid cloaked or deceptive language

It is not a safe way around when attempting to circumvent the filters with creative misspells, symbols or code words. Fixed disguised whose content is SHAFT is filtered using smart filtering systems by carriers and may lead to blocked messages or amplified inspection.

Do not use clipped or disguised URLs

Carriers do not only scan the text message, but also the links in a message. Even when you point to content that goes against the rules of SHAFT (or when that content is on a third party site), your message may still have a flag. Take care to have clear URLs and make the landing pages compliant.

Regulate industries by age-verification

In case your business involves selling alcohol or tobacco (or related to them), employ an age verification age-gating syst at opt-in and landing pages. This is the bare minimum and would not guarantee approval, many carriers block it in any case.

Train your marketing/support staff

Ensure the regulations concerning SHAFT are known amongst all the people involved in communicating with the customers. These are marketers, content writers together with support personnel. A single careless message by a member of the team who is not informed might lead to the suspension of a platform.

Clear and complaint opt-in language

To learn opt-in language with clarity and compliance, check the following examples: During the sign-up up of phone numbers, the opt-in must specify the nature of the content that recipients will be receiving. Be careful in using vague language that might afterwards be perceived as SHAFT-related. Making it an open organization is less likely to receive complaints and more likely to be based on trust.

Join forces with a certified SMS carrier

Partner with a provider like Falkon SMS who has compliance capabilities including message scanning, opt-in procedures, and real-time content warnings. These tools are used as a means of preventing the occurrence of violations of SHAFT.

Track campaign result and feedback

Watch your delivery rates, opt-out rates, and carrier feedback. Sudden decline in performance or frequent filtering can be an indication of a problem referable to SHAFT and hence requires urgent action.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, SHAFT regulations can be viewed as of a rigid character; however, with good reason, as they are aimed at ensuring the safety of consumers and safeguarding the effectiveness of SMS as a stable method of communication. Learning what constitutes Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco content is not merely knowing the rules of the industry, but is instead a matter of protecting your business against message blocking, fines, and adverse reputation.

Steps such as reviewing message content, training your team, and utilizing a reliable SMS platform like Falkon SMS will also keep you compliant and stress-free. Built-in tools to identify SHAFT violations and make sure your campaigns are up to code, Falkon SMS will ensure you take your messages to market safely and legally. Set to text smarter? Take a demo today and discover how Falkon SMS can help you solve your compliance-first approach.