What is S.H.A.F.T.?

S.H.A.F.T. is an acronym created by the CTIA which stands for Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco. This acronym is used by SMS marketers as a guideline on what specifically not to include in their messages. S.H.A.F.T. guidelines should be taken seriously by anyone using SMS to communicate with their consumers to ensure they are compliant with the CTIA, as well as fostering positive relationships with their consumers. S.H.A.F.T. guidelines should essentially be followed in all cases except for M2M (machine to machine) messages. 

What are the consequences for S.H.A.F.T. violations?

The CTIA has 3 levels of severity for guideline violations (0-2). Each is graded by level of potential harm to the consumer. S.H.A.F.T. violations are the only violation that is rated under a level 0 violation and can result in permanent termination of your program.

In summary:

If you have to ask if something violates a S.H.A.F.T. guideline it’s likely best to play it safe as these violations are taken very seriously and strictly prohibited. At the moment S.H.A.F.T. does include CBD, vaping, marijuana/cannabis, and any content relating to each (even though it is not specifically stated.) Be sure to refer to the CTIA Short Code Monitoring Handbook for more info on S.H.A.F.T. (link below).

CTIA Short Code Monitoring Handbook link.

Note: The CTIA’s Principles and Best Practices do not constitute or convey legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from qualified counsel.

Alcohol and Tobbaco products can now be promoted on Short Code, however require any group(s) on the Mobiniti platform to be Age-Gated. This means, that a part of opt-ing in whether it is via a keyword or form, they will receive the following opt-in message flow:

To Age-Gate your group(s) you can navigate to our How To Age-Gate Your Group(s) help guide.