Deutsche Telekom is set to launch a new SMS firewall on April 1, 2025, aimed at enhancing protection for its mobile customers against fraudulent text messages.

This system will evaluate sender and receiver information, as well as the date and time, to determine whether to deliver the SMS.

Vodafone has already been filtering out a significant portion of fraudulent SMS through a combination of automated and manual monitoring, although some messages still reach customers.

The SMS firewall is designed to block clearly abusive SMS and warn users about potentially dangerous messages, while also employing firewalls and fraud management systems to monitor SMS traffic.

1&1 also utilizes similar strategies to monitor SMS traffic, employing text recognition and analysis to identify phishing and malware links.

Initially, the focus of the SMS firewall will be on messages containing links to fraudulent content or malware, utilizing technical data to assess the legitimacy of messages.

Legal restrictions, including telecommunications privacy laws, limit mobile providers' ability to filter SMS content without specific legal exceptions.

The German Savings Banks Association has welcomed the introduction of the SMS firewall, emphasizing the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to combat digital fraud effectively.

However, due to strict legal limitations in Germany, the firewall cannot filter messages deemed dangerous solely based on their text, which complicates the detection of certain scams.

The need for such measures is underscored by the fact that thousands of citizens reported fraudulent SMS to the Federal Network Agency last year, with over 11,000 complaints regarding fake package deliveries.

The SMS firewall aims to provide a comprehensive approach to combating digital fraud, addressing the ongoing challenges posed by fraudulent SMS.