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Prohibited messaging content on DialLink

Updated over a month ago

To comply with U.S. and Canadian carrier regulations, certain types of content are not allowed in messages sent through DialLink. These restrictions apply regardless of whether you have customer consent. Below is a list of prohibited categories.

High-risk financial services

  • Payday loans

  • Short-term high-interest loans

  • New loan solicitations

  • Student loans

  • Cryptocurrency

  • Stocks and investment platforms

  • Third-party loans (e.g., auto or mortgage loans originated by one provider but managed or collected by a third party)

Third-party lead generation services

  • Companies, NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), or political campaigns that buy, sell, or share consumer information

  • Affiliate lending

  • Affiliate marketing

  • Deceptive marketing

Debt-related messaging

  • Debt collection or forgiveness

  • Debt consolidation, reduction, or relief

  • Credit or debt repair services

  • Third-party debt collection (“Third-party” means any entity other than the original creditor. Allowed: A hospital messaging its patients about outstanding bills, if proper consent is given. Not allowed: A debt collection agency sending messages on behalf of the hospital, unless the patient has explicitly opted in.)

Get-Rich-Quick schemes and misleading income opportunities

  • Deceptive work-from-home programs

  • High-risk investment opportunities

  • Pyramid schemes

  • Mystery shopping scams

  • Multi-level marketing (MLM)

This does not include legitimate employment outreach, investment news alerts, brokerages messaging their members, or other investment-related communications, if proper consent is obtained.

Illegal or regulated substances and related products or articles

Messaging related to the following substances or products is strictly prohibited, regardless of content, purpose, or regional legality. This includes all use cases, even two-factor authentication (2FA).

  • Cannabis (Cannabis is federally illegal in the U.S. Cannabis businesses are not permitted to use SMS/MMS messaging in the U.S. and Canada, regardless of message content.)

  • CBD (While CBD is federally legal, it is subject to varying legal restrictions across the U.S. As a result, the U.S. carriers do not allow messaging related to CBD.)

  • Fireworks (Fireworks are regulated products, and the U.S. and Canadian carriers do not permit messaging related to them.)

  • Kratom

  • Vape and E-cigarettes

  • Paraphernalia products

These restrictions apply to all number types (toll-free, local, short code) and across all industries, regardless of federal or state-level legality.

Prescription drugs

  • Any drugs that require a prescription

  • Medications not available over the counter in the U.S. or Canada

Gambling and betting content

  • Casino apps and platforms

  • Online gambling websites

  • Sweepstakes and contests

  • 50/50 raffles

  • Betting tips and sports picks

Messaging related to gambling is prohibited in the U.S. and Canada across all number types, including toll-free and local numbers. Even informational or promotional messages related to gambling are not allowed, regardless of customer consent.

“S.H.A.F.T.” content (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco)

Messaging that promotes or references any of the following is not allowed, following carrier guidelines:

  • Sexual content

  • Hate speech or hateful content

  • Alcohol *

  • Firearms and weapon-related content

  • Tobacco products

  • Vape and E-cigarettes

* Note. Alcohol-related messaging is allowed only on Toll-Free, Long Code, and Short Code numbers in the U.S., and only if proper age-gating is implemented (i.e., verifying that recipients are 21+ before messaging).

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