The FTC has taken an increased interest in mobile cramming (the
placement of unauthorized third-party charges, such as for
ringtones, on consumers' mobile telephone bills) in the past
few months. Despite industry self-regulation through the
Mobile Marketing Association's U.S.
Consumer Best Practices Guidelines, which establish
industry-wide standards to protect consumers (such as requiring
that consumers twice consent to charges), some believe mobile
cramming is on the rise.
Most recently, on May 8, the FTC hosted a roundtable on the topic, gathering consumer
advocates, government regulators, and industry representatives to
explore how mobile cramming occurs and current and possible
strategies to reduce the problem. Among the points of
disagreement that emerged between the panelists were the scope of
mobile cramming and how to measure the problem, as well as the need
for government-imposed regulation. The lack of consensus on
the former issue is particularly
