Here's a topic that comes up quite a bit: What constitutes a wireless domain?
As instructed by the FTC and per CAN-SPAM, the US federal anti-spam law, the FCC publishes a list of wireless domains. Your ability to send commercial mail to those domains is restricted; the legal requirements reference digital signatures; require a higher standard of affirmative consent (compared to CAN-SPAM). The intent is that "wireless domains", meaning devices like pagers and cell phones, should be spared certain types of messaging sans explicit consent.
This whole thing strikes me as odd. If the US standard were simply explicit consent across the board, there wouldn't have to be any weird exceptions or tighter rules only for certain email domains. But, I digress.
Ask yourself the following: What if a domain ends up on the FCC wireless list when it's not really a wireless domain? Is there anything to be done about that? Not really, unfortunately. The domain owners (typically telcos and ISPs) submit their domains to the FCC for inclusion in this list. Whether or not something qualifies for inclusion is something for the ISP and the FCC to work out; an ESP, or an ESP's client, doesn't really have any standing to make a judgment call that a domain is not validly found on the FCC wireless list.
A lot of people ask us about Verizon. "I thought Verizon was filtered," they ask, "but I see that I was able to send mail to somebody at a Verizon domain." Why? Because there are three different, common Verizon domains:
Clear as mud, right? Be sure to check out our FCC Wireless Domains website for more information, and doesn't hesitate to contact the deliverability team if you have any questions.
As instructed by the FTC and per CAN-SPAM, the US federal anti-spam law, the FCC publishes a list of wireless domains. Your ability to send commercial mail to those domains is restricted; the legal requirements reference digital signatures; require a higher standard of affirmative consent (compared to CAN-SPAM). The intent is that "wireless domains", meaning devices like pagers and cell phones, should be spared certain types of messaging sans explicit consent.
This whole thing strikes me as odd. If the US standard were simply explicit consent across the board, there wouldn't have to be any weird exceptions or tighter rules only for certain email domains. But, I digress.
Ask yourself the following: What if a domain ends up on the FCC wireless list when it's not really a wireless domain? Is there anything to be done about that? Not really, unfortunately. The domain owners (typically telcos and ISPs) submit their domains to the FCC for inclusion in this list. Whether or not something qualifies for inclusion is something for the ISP and the FCC to work out; an ESP, or an ESP's client, doesn't really have any standing to make a judgment call that a domain is not validly found on the FCC wireless list.
A lot of people ask us about Verizon. "I thought Verizon was filtered," they ask, "but I see that I was able to send mail to somebody at a Verizon domain." Why? Because there are three different, common Verizon domains:
- Verizon.net. This is the Verizon consumer ISP. If you have home internet service from Verizon, you probably have a Verizon.net email address. This domain is NOT filtered. It is NOT on the FCC wireless domains list, and as long as you are following normal permission best practices, it's okay for you to send mail to your subscribers at this domain.
- Verizonwireless.com. This domain has "wireless" right in the name, but it isn't in the FCC wireless domains list. It used to be listed, but it was removed very recently, within the last couple weeks of June. As this domain has been removed from the FCC wireless domains list, we've removed it from our List Detective filter. How is this domain not a wireless domain? Don't ask me, nobody's ever explained it to me, and it doesn't make sense. But, I don't go by what the domain name is; I have to go by what is in the list or not in the list. (Coincidentally, I used to have a Verizon Wireless USB modem up until a couple of years ago. Back then I called Verizon and asked them if that means I have a verizonwireless.com email address. They told me no, Verizon Wireless users do not receive a mailbox at this domain. So perhaps this domain is corporate mailboxes for the wireless division of Verizon.)
- Verizon.com. this domain IS in the FCC wireless list, meaning that sending to this domain is restricted. I think this might actually be Verizon's corporate email domain, and I don't understand why it's on the FCC wireless domains list. Perhaps Verizon will see this note and offer up some details. (I emailed them about this a while back, but received no reply.) But, as I say above, I have to go by what's actually on the list, not what my common sense tells me.
Clear as mud, right? Be sure to check out our FCC Wireless Domains website for more information, and doesn't hesitate to contact the deliverability team if you have any questions.
ExactTarget Feed
Powered by Compendium Blogware
Comments for Verizon "Wireless"?