What you must know before sending marketing SMS to Singapore phone numbers under Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) 2012. Compliance is your sole responsibility as the sender.
Effective 2 January 2014, Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA) established the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry — a national registry administered by the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) of Singapore. It allows individuals and businesses to register Singapore telephone numbers to opt out of receiving unsolicited marketing messages by SMS, voice call, or fax.
Any organisation — whether based in Singapore or overseas — that sends marketing messages to Singapore phone numbers must comply with the DNC provisions. Penalties for breach can reach S$1 million per offence.
You must check the DNC Registry before sending any message to a Singapore number that:
This applies regardless of whether you are the direct sender, or whether you engage iSMS or any other provider to send on your behalf — the compliance obligation follows the sender/data user, not the messaging platform.
| Situation | DNC Check Validity |
|---|---|
| Standard (from 2 July 2014 onwards) | 30 days from date of check |
| You have written consent from the recipient | DNC check not required — but consent must be documented and retained |
The DNC Registry is administered directly by Singapore's PDPC. Organisations can perform DNC checks — including bulk checks for large contact lists — through the official PDPC channels. iSMS does not provide DNC checking as a service. You must independently verify your contact list before uploading to iSMS for Singapore campaigns.
No. iSMS does not perform DNC checks on your behalf. You are responsible for checking your contact list against the Singapore DNC Registry before sending any marketing SMS to Singapore numbers. MobiWeb accepts no liability for DNC violations arising from your campaigns.
Yes — if you have obtained clear and unambiguous written consent from the individual, you may send marketing messages even if they are registered with the DNC Registry. You must retain proof of this consent. Note that consent can be withdrawn at any time, after which you must stop sending.
Singapore's DNC Registry accepts 8-digit Singapore numbers beginning with 3, 6, 8, or 9 — covering mobile, home, and office numbers. Numbers remain registered until the owner personally removes them.
No. Telemarketing messages directed at businesses are excluded from the DNC Registry rules. However, if the message is sent to an individual's personal mobile number (even in a business context), it may still be covered. When in doubt, check the DNC Registry or obtain consent.
You may be in breach of Singapore's PDPA. The PDPC may issue a financial penalty of up to S$1 million. This liability rests with you as the sender — not with iSMS or MobiWeb. MobiWeb will cooperate with any lawful regulatory or legal enquiry relating to messages sent through our platform.
No. Bulk SMS Singapore · Powered by iSMS Malaysia · MobiWeb Sdn Bhd is a messaging infrastructure provider and does not determine your recipient list or verify compliance with Singapore's DNC requirements. All compliance obligations rest with you as the sender. By using iSMS to send to Singapore numbers, you confirm that you have performed the required DNC check or hold valid consent for each recipient.