> This page is for Platform. > Fetch clean Markdown by appending `.md` to any page URL under https://signalwire.com/docs or requesting it with the HTTP header `Accept: text/markdown`. The root index at https://signalwire.com/docs/llms.txt lists the available documentation indexes. # Prohibited message content > The message content and business types that SignalWire and US and Canadian carriers don't allow over SMS and MMS, including age-gating rules for 10DLC, toll-free, and short code numbers. [code-of-conduct]: https://signalwire.com/legal/messaging-code-of-conduct [create-campaign]: /docs/apis/rest/campaign-registry/campaigns/create-campaign [ctia]: https://api.ctia.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/230523-CTIA-Messaging-Principles-and-Best-Practices-FINAL.pdf [campaign-registry]: /docs/platform/messaging/campaign-registry [toll-free]: /docs/platform/messaging/toll-free-numbers [best-practices]: /docs/platform/messaging/sms-best-practices Some messages can't be sent over SignalWire even when every recipient opted in to receive them. US and Canadian carriers ban whole categories of content, and some businesses can't send any SMS or MMS at all, whatever the message says. These rules apply to every number type, whether 10-digit long code (10DLC), toll-free, or short code. They're enforced when your campaign or toll-free number is reviewed and again on live traffic. > **Not legal advice** > > This page summarizes the carrier rules that apply to messaging traffic in the United States and Canada. It isn't legal advice. Consult your own counsel to confirm that your messaging program and content comply with the laws that apply to you and your recipients. Carrier rules change, and a carrier can still reject or filter traffic that this page doesn't list. ## Business-level bans Most rules on this page are about what a message says. A few are about who sends it: carriers bar these businesses from messaging regardless of content. * **Cannabis, CBD, kratom, and drug paraphernalia businesses** can't send SMS or MMS in the United States or Canada. This includes two-factor authentication (2FA) and other messages unrelated to their products, and it applies whether or not the business is legal under state or federal law. * **Businesses focused exclusively on stocks, investing, or cryptocurrency** can send only 2FA messages. ## Prohibited content Carriers prohibit these categories on all US and Canadian number types: 10DLC, toll-free, and short code. Where a category has a legitimate first-party use, the **Notes** column says what carriers allow. SignalWire's own [messaging requirements](#signalwire-messaging-requirements) can be stricter, so a use that carriers allow can still be disallowed on SignalWire. In the tables below, "first-party" means the business the recipient has a direct relationship with: the lender providing the loan, the business that's owed a debt, or the company doing the hiring. "Third-party" means anyone else. ### High-risk financial services | Content | Examples | Notes | | :---------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | High-interest lending | Payday loans, short-term high-interest loans, student loans | Prohibited. | | Loan advertising | Promotional messages about loans and refinancing options | Prohibited. Direct lenders of secured loans may be approved case by case. | | Lender account messages | Payment reminders and account notices from the lender | Allowed from a direct lender with the recipient's express consent. Promotional content and messages from third-party lenders aren't allowed. | | Investment and crypto | Stock alerts, cryptocurrency offers, investment tips | Prohibited. Businesses focused exclusively on stocks, investing, or cryptocurrency can send only 2FA messages. | | Affiliate lending | Loan offers sent on behalf of another lender | Prohibited. | ### Debt collection and relief | Content | Examples | Notes | | :-------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Third-party debt collection | A collection agency messaging on behalf of the business owed the debt | Prohibited unless the collector has consent directly from the recipient. The business that's owed the debt can message its own customers who opted in, such as a hospital sending bill reminders to its patients. | | Debt relief | Debt consolidation, debt reduction, debt forgiveness, credit repair programs | Prohibited, even with first-party consent. | ### Get-rich-quick schemes | Content | Examples | Notes | | :-------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Easy-money offers | Deceptive work-from-home programs, risky investment opportunities, "build your wealth" and "financial independence" offers | Prohibited. These offers promise substantial or guaranteed returns for minimal effort and draw high complaint rates. | | Multi-level marketing | Network marketing, pyramid schemes, commission programs | Prohibited. | ### Job postings | Content | Examples | Notes | | :--------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Third-party job boards | Job listings sent by a board or recruiter on behalf of employers | Prohibited. Only the business doing the hiring can register and send messages about its own openings. | ### Lead generation and consent Consent must come directly from the recipient, given to the business that sends the messages. These practices violate that rule: | Content | Examples | Notes | | :------------------------------------------------ | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Third-party lead generation | Buying, selling, or sharing consumer data or opt-ins | Prohibited. A business whose terms of service or privacy policy says it shares or sells consumer data or opt-in information is noncompliant. | | Cold outreach | Messaging people who've had no prior contact with the business | Prohibited. | | Personally identifiable information (PII) farming | Collecting recipients' personal information through services advertised or subscribed to over SMS or MMS | Prohibited. | | Affiliate marketing | Offers sent on behalf of partner brands | Requires carrier approval. Consent is one-to-one for the campaign on record and can't be shared across brands. | | Political outreach from voter rolls | Using a voter registration database as the source of consent | Prohibited. Political senders must collect consent directly. | ### Illegal and controlled substances | Content | Examples | Notes | | :-------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Cannabis and related products | Cannabis, CBD, THC, synthetic cannabinoids, kratom, drug paraphernalia | Prohibited, and businesses in these categories can't send any messages. See [business-level bans](#business-level-bans). | | Controlled and prescription drugs | Schedule I–IV drugs, prescription drugs that can't be sold over the counter | Prohibited. Prescription-related messages may be approved case by case. | | Tobacco and vaping | Cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vape products | Restricted. Allowed only on short code, with carrier approval and an age gate. See [age-restricted content](#age-restricted-content). | ### Phishing and fraud | Content | Examples | Notes | | :------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | :---------- | | Phishing | Messages that impersonate a legitimate business to collect passwords, card numbers, or other personal information; social-engineering scams | Prohibited. | | Fraud or scams | Fake or fraudulent offers, deception intended to produce financial or personal gain | Prohibited. | ### SHAFT content SHAFT is the carrier shorthand for five content categories that are either banned or allowed only under strict conditions: | Letter | Covers | Rule | | :----------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **S**ex | Sexually explicit or inappropriate content, pornography | Prohibited. | | **H**ate | Hate speech, harassment, profanity, and communications from groups whose primary purpose is spreading hate | Prohibited. | | **A**lcohol | Alcohol sales and promotions | Restricted. Allowed only with carrier approval and an age gate. See [age-restricted content](#age-restricted-content). | | **F**irearms | Firearms, and depictions or endorsements of violence | Prohibited on every number type, even with an age gate. Messages about firearm parts are allowed on 10DLC. | | **T**obacco | Tobacco and vaping, and endorsement of illegal drugs | Tobacco and vaping are restricted, allowed only on short code with carrier approval and an age gate. Drug endorsement is prohibited. | ### Gambling Gambling content is prohibited on every number type in both the United States and Canada. Carriers treat raffles as gambling. | Content | Examples | Notes | | :--------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Gambling and games of chance | Casino apps, gambling websites, links to sites that promote games of chance | Prohibited. | | Betting picks | Sports or team "picks" and betting tips | Prohibited. | | Raffles | Raffle campaigns | Prohibited. | | Bingo | Community or local bingo announcements | Allowed on an approved short code or 10DLC campaign if the messages aren't promotional. Carrier approval may still be required. | ## Age-restricted content Alcohol and tobacco messaging, including vaping, isn't banned outright in the United States, but carriers accept it only with their approval and an age gate. Which number types accept it depends on the content: | Content | 10DLC | Short code | Toll-free | | :----------------- | :---------------------------------- | :---------------- | :---------------- | | Alcohol | Age gate required | Age gate required | Age gate required | | Tobacco and vaping | Not allowed | Age gate required | Not allowed | | Firearms | Not allowed (firearm parts allowed) | Not allowed | Not allowed | | Gambling | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not allowed | Firearms and gambling appear for comparison: an age gate doesn't make either of them allowed. An age gate must ask the recipient to enter their date of birth. A yes-or-no prompt such as "Are you over 21?" doesn't qualify. When you register a 10DLC campaign, both the Dashboard and the [Create campaign][create-campaign] endpoint (`age_gated_content`) ask whether the campaign includes age-gated content. Answer yes for an alcohol or tobacco campaign. SignalWire's [Messaging Requirements and Code of Conduct][code-of-conduct] adds its own requirements for age-restricted content, such as keeping consent records and verifying each recipient's age. ### Canada Canadian carriers block all age-restricted content on every number type, even with an age gate. Sending age-restricted content to Canadian recipients requires a special exemption from the carrier. Canadian carriers do allow a short list of age-restricted items without an exemption, including pocketknives, lighters, and non-alcoholic beverages. ## SignalWire messaging requirements SignalWire's [Messaging Requirements and Code of Conduct][code-of-conduct] applies in addition to the carrier rules on this page. It has its own list of disallowed content, which is stricter than the carrier rules in places, and it sets rules for sending practices and opt-out rates. Read it before you register a campaign or verify a toll-free number. Sending content or using practices it disallows triggers an account review, which can lead to suspension of a campaign, a phone number, or all SignalWire services. Approval doesn't exempt you from these rules. A registered [10DLC campaign][campaign-registry] or a verified [toll-free number][toll-free] can still be filtered or suspended if its traffic includes prohibited content. For consent, opt-out handling, and other sending practices, see [Optimize delivery rates][best-practices]. For the industry guidelines these rules build on, see the [CTIA Messaging Principles and Best Practices][ctia].