# MSG-261 — The call to action must not misdescribe the programme

> Neither the call to action nor subsequent messages may use deceptive language, or misdescribe what the programme sends, how often, or what it costs.

- **Rule ID:** MSG-261
- **Layer:** Message content (`MESSAGE_CONTENT`)
- **Checks:** `campaign.sample[] + CTA copy + campaign.message_flow`
- **Severity:** BLOCKING — Breaking this rule gets the submission rejected outright.
- **When it bites:** Gates approval — get this wrong and registration is refused
- **How it is detected:** AI judgement over the crawled website or policy page
- **Fix type:** Fix the field — a better value in the form clears it
- **Required by:** CTIA
- **Applies:** Applies to every 10DLC registration.
- **Canonical URL:** https://ekas.io/rules/10dlc/message-content/msg-261/

## Why this rule exists

This is deception measured against the promise rather than against the truth: a consumer who agreed to "occasional order updates" and receives daily promotions was misled at the point of consent, whichever message you read on its own. It is the one deception rule that reaches back to the opt-in copy, which is why it catches programmes that are entirely honest about each message and dishonest about the shape of the whole. The innocent cause is almost always drift — the CTA was written for the programme as it was launched, and nobody rewrote it when marketing was added.

## How to fix it

Rewrite the call to action to describe the programme you are actually registering — every content type it sends, the real frequency, and the cost position — then check the samples against it line by line. Done when a recipient reading only the CTA would be unsurprised by every sample in the campaign.

## Example of a compliant value

```text
CTA: "Text me Acme Coffee offers, rewards updates and order notifications. Msg frequency varies (about 4/month). Msg & data rates may apply." — matching a sample set that contains all three kinds.
```

## Common mistakes

- Adding the missing content type to the CTA usually changes the consent standard as well: a programme that admits it sends promotions needs promotional-grade consent, so the CTA edit and the use case have to move together.