# POL-175 — The terms must carry opt-out information

> The SMS terms must state how to stop the messages — "Reply STOP to cancel" or a clear equivalent.

- **Rule ID:** POL-175
- **Layer:** Policy pages (`POLICY_PAGE`)
- **Checks:** `SMS terms body`
- **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:** Deterministic (settled in code from the submitted values)
- **Fix type:** Fix the privacy policy or SMS terms
- **Required by:** CTIA, AWS, Bandwidth, Sinch, Telnyx, TCR, Infobip, T-Mobile
- **Applies:** Applies to every 10DLC registration.
- **Canonical URL:** https://ekas.io/rules/10dlc/policy-page/pol-175/

## Why this rule exists

This is the one element every provider screens for mechanically, because it is the consumer's exit and the thing a complaint is measured against. Terms drafted as a legal document rather than as instructions often describe the right to withdraw consent without naming the keyword, which reads as compliant to the author and fails the string match.

## How to fix it

Add the keyword sentence to the terms in plain words. Done when the document contains the word STOP as an instruction rather than a description of a right.

## Example of a compliant value

```text
To stop receiving messages, reply STOP to any message from us.
```

## Common mistakes

- Naming STOP as the only route fails POL-117. Give the keyword and say other reasonable requests are honoured as well.

## Provider rejection codes

| Provider | Code | Resubmission allowed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Twilio (gen1) | `30908` | yes |

## Notes

The catalog exempts single-message programmes and lets T-Mobile accept the opt-out in the advertisement instead of the terms for print CTAs. Neither exemption is expressible as a tag we hold, and both are narrower than the registrations this registry is aimed at, so the rule fires universally.