Du and Etisalat get 3m requests to block ads

Etisalat and du processed more than 3 million requests to stop unwanted promotional text messages from local companies in the first quarter of this year.
And after a request by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, the telecoms have also blocked about 20 million unwanted texts from international companies and promotional firms, the state news agency Wam reported.
A monitoring device that identifies and blocks advertising messages from outside the country has been introduced by the TRA, in co-ordination with Etisalat and du.
Recent data showed most such unwanted messages come from international companies in the GCC.
More measures were announced by the regulator to control and minimise spam messages received by mobile subscribers.
The TRA enforces a strict auditing process for advertising that originates from the UAE. Offenders risk temporary termination of services after an initial warning. For more offences, companies can be fined and shut down.The TRA set a policy at the end of 2009 to reduce unsolicited marketing text messages.
The policy is still binding to both service providers, which have been instructed to take measures to curb spam and give consumers the choice of having it blocked.
Etisalat and du have given their subscribers the choice to opt out of their own promotional messages.
Both providers also offer a free service allowing subscribers to stop unwanted advertisements coming from short numbers or specific companies.
As a result of 75 audits by the TRA in the first three months of this year, Etisalat and du warned 32 companies, temporarily disconnected 28 companies and permanently closed one company, said the authority's Khalid Belhoul.
newsdesk@thenational.ae