How much spam do you get on your mobile? Complaints about spam texts are on the increase, suggesting it’s on the rise – but how would you feel if your texts were limited in order to combat the problem?
Between 20 and 30 an hour. That’s how many spam text messages I received while working in India earlier this year.
The problem was so bad that it was actually affecting the battery life on my usually-trusty little brick phone, since its screen was lighting up enthusiastically every couple of minutes with yet another quiz or local offer.
‘How much do you know about Sachin Tendulker?’
‘Name the latest Katrina Kaif song and win a prize!’
‘Half price pizzas near you, find more local offers.’
All day. Every day. Non-stop.
Limiting mass texts
That’s why I smiled at news that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is taking action to curb the non-stop spam culture that blights the lives of the 700 million mobile users in India.
From now on, all mobile users will find themselves limited to a maximum of 100 messages per day – in theory, stopping the spam-bots which require a mobile account to send these messages en masse.
Of course, the problem here is this action would also affect everyday phone users who just happen to send a lot of messages each day – particularly common amongst young people.
UK spam texts on the rise
But it’s not just India that’s being affected. According to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office the number of complaints received about spam text messaging is rising rapidly.
Have you been afflicted by unwanted spam messages on your mobile? Would you mind having a limit on the number of texts you can send if it meant you received fewer spam texts? What are the worst examples of spam texts you’ve been sent?
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