Privacy. It’s a big concern after Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal and other data breaches.
This concern carries over into areas outside of social media, as our data is collected while we shop, when we use services and even when we’re surfing the internet.
So you may be wondering… how is data collection and privacy handled in the world of text sweepstakes and mobile marketing?
Here’s what you should know…
What type of data is collected?
Unlike mobile apps that can collect everything from phone logs and contacts to calendars and camera photos, text sweepstakes platforms have access to less.
That’s because our platform doesn’t actually live on your cell phone. Nor do we “control” the text messaging app on your phone. We get the information that telecom carriers attach to each text message.
You know how an email message will have data about the IP address and web browser of the sender? Similar information is tied to each text message.
Information we get from text messages includes mobile numbers, location, mobile IP, browser type and device (Apple, Android, etc.).
If the sweepstakes includes an online entry form, we might also get information from web analytics and from the form itself. The form might ask for name, email, address, birth date, and more on form fields that are filled out by those who enter.
What is done with the mobile numbers collected?
First off, mobile phone numbers are never sold by Sweeppea. We do not sell numbers to list brokers or third parties. Numbers are only accessible by us, as text sweepstakes administrators, and our clients, the sweepstakes sponsors. Phone numbers are collected for the purposes of the sweepstakes and may become part of the sponsor’s mobile subscriber list, depending on the sponsor.
Our privacy policy is available online. Keep in mind our clients’ privacy policies also affect the use of information collected during sweepstakes. A link to that privacy policy is always provided on our entry forms.
Do people who enter risk getting mobile spam or text spam?
We have zero tolerance for spam and, in fact, have a No-Spam Policy.
If we were to send spam, we’d endanger our business and risk getting fined $1,500 per text, per person by the FCC. We’d also risk getting our account suspended by telecom carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, etc., so we take this issue very seriously.
Email spam may seem to be causally enforced, but mobile spam is not. It’s overseen by the FCC and the telecom industry with serious consequences. In fact, lawsuits under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) are at an all-time high.
Here’s a look at some of the legal rules for text sweepstakes and text message marketing. We follow these rules and best practices, as should any professional text sweepstakes platform.
If you have any other questions about privacy and data, feel free to contact us.