SMS senders who attach links to messages must now register yearly, says the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, as it moves to tackle fraudulent messages and scam links attached to them.
The requirement was aimed at dealing with scammers who attach links to short messages to steal personal data and money from recipients, said minister Prasert Jantararuangtong.
The “Cleansing Sender Name” system was developed by the ministry in collaboration with the police, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission and telecom service providers, he said.
According to Mr Prasert, the measure will require annual registration of names of all senders who attach links for the identification of the short message senders and SMS providers concerned.
Senders of short messages with attached links will register with mobile phone service operators. The registration must include the details of the messages and links so that the content and links can be verified by mobile operators before being sent to recipients.
Violators will have their sender names blocked and face legal action from police, Mr Prasert said.
A ministry spokesperson said that the measure would likely take effect early next year. The relevant organisations still have to discuss more details of how it will work.