Opt-in
Opt-in is provable prior consent to receive messages: the wording, timestamp, source and scope a sender records and can produce.
Definitions only — a term explained here is not a service we sell.
Opt-in is evidence that a person agreed to receive a defined message stream. The record shows what was agreed, how often, from whom and when, because consent is proved by documentation, not by a checkbox.
A pre-ticked box, a condition buried in general terms, or silence is not consent. Consent must be specific, informed and given by a clear affirmative action.
For A2P SMS, consent often has to be shown at sender registration, not only after a complaint. Build the evidence trail before the first campaign; see Sender ID in Mexico and Brazil for the registration route.
What the record must show
Trace every number to its source and timestamp. Consent for order updates is not consent for promotions. Under the GDPR the controller must demonstrate consent and make withdrawal as easy as giving it. National marketing rules add their own requirements, so the same flow may need adjusting per market; this is general information, not legal advice. Keep the consent record with the message log.
Where consent is recorded
- Sign-up form
- OTP request
- SMSC
- Handset
- STOP Opt-out recorded
Text description
The customer agrees on the sign-up form. The application sends an OTP request through the SMSC to the handset, and a STOP reply returns with an opt-out record. The same path carries the consent and its withdrawal.