WEBSITEISTIC MESSAGING POLICY

At Websiteistic, we prioritize strict adherence to carrier messaging policies and industry regulations. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of messaging content and conduct. To ensure transparency and compliance, we require detailed information regarding how you plan to use messaging and how you obtain consent.

What Constitutes Appropriate Consent?

At Websiteistic, we place great importance on the concept of consent in our messaging content policy. Proper consent is a fundamental principle in ensuring responsible and ethical messaging practices.

Websiteistic places a strong emphasis on the requirement for obtaining proper consent when engaging in messaging activities. This entails securing explicit and transparent agreement from individuals before sending them messages. Records of this consent, including the type of messages and their purpose, must be maintained. Consent is specific to the intended purpose and can be revoked at any time. Additionally, proof of opt-in consent should be retained in compliance with local regulations or best practices. These measures ensure ethical and compliant messaging practices through Websiteistic.

When an individual initiates contact by sending a message to Websiteistic, we have the liberty to respond within the context of that specific exchange. For instance, if someone texts our phone number inquiring about our hours of operation, we can promptly reply with the relevant information regarding our open hours. It’s important to note that in such scenarios, the act of the individual sending an inbound message serves as both their consent to engage in that particular conversation and proof of that consent.

However, it’s essential to understand that this consent is limited strictly to the ongoing conversation. Without obtaining additional consent, we should refrain from sending messages that extend beyond the scope of that specific exchange.

Websiteistic may send messages to individuals with whom we have an established prior relationship, granted that they have willingly provided their phone number and have taken specific actions to initiate potential communication. These actions may encompass activities such as pressing buttons, setting up alerts, scheduling appointments, or placing orders. Examples of permissible messages within these contexts include reminders for appointments, receipts, one-time passwords, confirmations for orders, shipping details, services details, reservations, coordination between drivers and riders, and confirmation of service call times.

However, it’s important to note that these messages should not be geared towards promoting products, persuading individuals to make purchases, advocating for social causes, or promoting additional services. They should strictly serve the purpose of facilitating the established relationship and providing relevant information or assistance.

When our intent is to send messages to a recipient on a continuous basis, we follow a responsible approach to ensure ongoing consent. Periodically, we remind the recipient of their initial consent and offer a straightforward method for them to opt out, using standard opt-out language as defined below. We respect the recipient’s preferences concerning the frequency of contact and always prioritize their choice. Furthermore, we proactively seek to have individuals reconfirm their consent in accordance with local regulations and best practices. This approach helps maintain a transparent and respectful messaging relationship with our recipients while ensuring compliance with applicable guidelines.

Every message we send must clearly show that it’s from us, the ones who got consent from the recipient. The only time this isn’t necessary is when it’s a follow-up message in an ongoing conversation.

At Websiteistic, maintaining the integrity of messaging platforms as reliable channels for communication and innovation is of utmost importance. To achieve this, we have stringent content guidelines in place, irrespective of whether our users have secured consent from recipients. Our Acceptable Use Policy unequivocally prohibits the dissemination of any content that runs afoul of the law, poses harm, is unwanted, inappropriate, objectionable, or confirmed as misinformation with criminal intent, or poses a risk to public safety, regardless of its legal status. This prohibition extends to various categories, including content that violates the laws of the recipient’s jurisdiction, such as messages related to cannabis in the United States, prescription medication offers not legally available over-the-counter, and content promoting hate speech, harassment, exploitation, abuse, or originating from hate groups. Additionally, we do not permit fraudulent messages or malicious content like malware or viruses. It’s essential to understand that these content restrictions also apply to messages sent to specific countries, as we require compliance with both local regulations and our own country-specific requirements. By upholding these guidelines, we collectively contribute to maintaining a responsible and secure messaging environment while ensuring strict adherence to legal and regulatory standards.

If you intend to send messages related to alcohol, firearms, gambling, tobacco, or other adult content in any manner, there are additional restrictions that must be adhered to. In addition to obtaining consent from each message recipient, it is imperative that you confirm that none of the message recipients are below the legal age of consent as determined by their respective location. Furthermore, you are responsible for ensuring that the content of your messages complies with all relevant laws in the jurisdiction of the message recipients and adheres to applicable guidelines and standards within the communications industry.

The key to ensuring that messaging remains a great channel for communication and innovation is preventing abusive use of messaging platforms. That means we never allow some types of content on our platform, even if our customers get consent from recipients for that content. Twilio’s Acceptable Use Policy prohibits sending any content that is illegal, harmful, unwanted, inappropriate, objectionable, confirmed to be criminal misinformation, or otherwise poses a threat to the public, even if the content is permissible by law. Other prohibited uses include:

• Anything that is illegal in the jurisdiction where the message recipient lives. Examples include, but are not limited to:
  • Cannabis. Messages related to cannabis are not allowed in the United States as federal laws prohibit its sale, even though some states have legalized it. Similarly, messages related to CBD are not permissible in the United States, as certain states prohibit its sale. Twilio defines a cannabis message as any message which relates to the marketing or sale of a cannabis product, regardless of whether or not those messages explicitly contain cannabis terms, images, or links to cannabis websites.
  • Prescription Medication. Offers for prescription medication that cannot legally be sold over-the-counter are prohibited in the United States.
• Hate speech, harassment, exploitative, abusive, or any communications that originate from a hate group.
• Fraudulent messages.
• Malicious content, such as malware or viruses.
• Any content that is designed to intentionally evade filters (see below).