review

PSA publishes discussion document for review of Code of Practice

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

The Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA) has published the discussion document for its Code of Practice review. This is the first opportunity for stakeholders to provide input into the review of the PSA’s regulatory framework.

The discussion document provides an overview of the review and includes a summary of:

  • the review’s objectives and scope
  • an assessment of the market and consumers’ behaviours, experiences and expectations
  • the PSA’s proposed assessment framework
  • the PSA’s early thinking on its future regulatory strategy.

aimm will be reaching out to members next week regarding this document and asking for feedback and views. The full discussion document can be found on PSA’s news page.

Mobile World Congress 2016 – A personal view from Hugh Griffiths

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

The world’s biggest mobile trade show, Mobile World Congress, took place in Barcelona between 22-25 February 2016. As has become customary, the show’s attendance broke previous records: the GSMA announced on the final day that 101,000 people had attended MWC in 2016, an increase of almost 8% over the 2015 show’s attendance of 93,000.

The event is slowly moving to become more of a consumer electronics show as a variety of networks connect an increasingly significant number of consumer devices together. Read my report here: Review of Mobile World Congress 2016  .

 

Ordanduu & Optimus Mobile v PhonepayPlus: Judgement goes against PhonepayPlus

Posted on by Andrea Putnam-Moorcroft

In light of  today’s ruling in the High Court between Ordanduu and Optimus vs PhonepayPlus AIME’s intial response is as follows:

As a result of the Emergency Procedures that PhonepayPlus deployed in 2013 and prior to the instigation of this legal challenge,  AIME Executive and Board worked extensively with PhonepayPlus to develop guidance for the premium rate industry that utilise digital marketing, particularly with affiliates.

AIME also collaboratively developed an early warning system for reporting instances of mobile malware, misleading affiliate practices and other tactics that would damage advertisers and create risk for consumers. This enabled responsible advertisers to investigate and deal with affiliate and other digital marketing fraud aimed at themselves, but affecting consumers in process. This tool is being actively used by industry.

The area of affiliate marketing as a promotion tool for connecting with mobile consumers exploded in 2012/13 and the risks to advertisers from affiliates who set out to mislead consumers or create malware was little understood by all parties. AIMEs role in assembling industry collaboration has resulted in a marked reduction in rogue affiliate issues affecting premium rate service marketing and we continue to monitor and react to the issue.

AIME also engaged extensively with senior representatives of PhonepayPlus to encourage and support a  review of their enforcement procedures, the skill and independence of the code compliance panel and the robustness of adjudication case preparation in light of new technology and new ways for consumers to utilise premium rate services via the burgeoning growth in smartphones.

PhonepayPlus has demonstrated willingness to engage with industry on these matters while still prioritising its consumer protection remit and remaining independent.

AIMEs Chairman Edward Boddington said “It is vital for the premium rate industry that we have an effective regulator to ensure a stable operating environment for the companies that wish to provide consumers with great products, transparent pricing and honest marketing and the regulator should keep at bay the miscreants who are determined to wreck the industry and remove consumer confidence. AIMEs objective for its members is to ensure that PhonepayPlus has robust mechanisms to remove harmful products while applying efficient and precise procedures that will survive any legal challenge. Maintaining that balance is a tough role to play and AIME has encouraged and will continue to support PhonepayPlus.