First SMS regulations coming out in China
(chinanews.cn)
Updated: 2005-09-27 19:32

According to Beijing Morning Post, Shen Yongtao, deputy director of Service Quality Supervision Office of the Telecom Administration Bureau under the Ministry of Information Industry (MII), revealed that "Relations of SMS Communication Service Management" (Regulations), China's first set of SMS regulations, will be officially published recently.

Those sending porn SMS at random will have to bear legal liability in accordance with the Regulations.

Last April, MII put forward the "Notification for Regulations on Normalizing Related Issues of SMS Service" (Notification) to propose special measures to deal with such problems as opacity of SMS charge, illegal charge without subscription of SMS and difficulty in canceling SMS subscription.

However, such problems could not be solved unless they are cracked down in accordance with related law. The existing laws in this aspect are apparently to be perfected and China is in urgent need of legislation to regulate the SMS market.

Shen said that "Notification" is just a precursive document while the new "Regulations" will standardize SMS service and use by way of law enforcement.

Shen also added that those who distribute obscene and eroticism information with SMS via cell phones will have to bear legal liability.