We recently reported that the MMA has laid out its guidelines in reference to mobile marketing via Bluetooth. While they were mostly slated for European usage, the new guidelines more or less will set a worldwide standard once they’re finalized in the next few months.
The MMA has just announced another addition to the guidelines that in essence will allow for spamming via Bluetooth- with exceptions that is. Their thinking is that if a consumer is walking around with their mobile device in “discoverable” mode meaning it’s wide open to receive Bluetooth connections, it’s fair game for the spammers.
The guideline states that leaving a device in “discoverable” mode is implicitly giving permission for pushed advertisements, which contradicts what the UK’s Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has stated. The DMA’s 2005 recommendations state that users must sign up to receive messages, either by downloading an application or “pairing” with a promotional service. The MMA, however, maintains that it’s fair to push messages out to them, then ask them to opt out if they’re not interested.
If you don’t agree with the MMA’s approach, don’t worry, nothing has been finalized as of yet. The MMA is still taking suggestions and feedback before any final decisions will be made on or after September 26th. If you’d like to take a look at the latest Bluetooth document released by the MMA, you can find it here.
