Spain SMS block: unregistered senders stopped Tuesday
From Tuesday, 15 September 2026, mobile networks in Spain will block SMS, MMS and RCS messages sent under unregistered names. The change affects companies, shops, public bodies and other organisations using a brand, trading name or web domain in the sender field. Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) says those names must be listed in its official database.
The sender name, known as an alias, is the label shown at the top of a message — such as the name of a bank, insurer or transport operator. Messages can still be sent without an alias, but organisations that miss the deadline will no longer be able to send texts carrying their name or brand.
A check on who really sent the message
The new register is intended to confirm that a message genuinely comes from the organisation named as its sender. It is the latest major measure in the Spanish government’s anti-fraud plan, aimed at identity scams by text message, known as smishing.
Even a registered alias can be blocked if the message comes through an unregistered messaging provider, or if the provider does not have the brand owner’s permission. Operators must also stop messages sent to Spanish numbers by foreign companies not registered in Spain, except when the recipient is roaming.
Names can be added after the deadline
Missing or newly created sender names can still be submitted after 15 September, but they cannot be used until registration has been completed. The CNMC has urged small and medium-sized businesses and self-employed workers to check its electronic notifications and deal with any outstanding requests.
The register was formally set up on 28 March. The regulator says a high number of applications have been rejected because of technical problems or because the brand owner had not given explicit approval. It says no further delay to the compulsory block is planned.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com