The Challenges of Mobile Advocacy

From Mobileactive.org, adapted from Tactical Tech's Mobiles in-a-Box Toolkit, this webpage summarises challenges of a mobile phone advocacy programme. It sets out basic advice such as: keeping accurate and up-to-date records of mobile phone numbers of staff, members, and supporters; obtaining people’s agreement to let their mobile number be used to contact them; and offering them a way to opt out of receiving advocacy messages.

The document then details:

• Privacy and security issues for data safety, legal constraints for use of text (SMS) messaging, and practices surrounding "text spamming".
  
• Technological challenges including: the lessons learned from failed campaigns, as well as the successes; specialised tools and software; details of conducting mobile surveys; and interactive voice response systems.
  
• Roaming issues, particularly involving cross-border costs.
  
• Cost, particularly for 'short codes' - shortened phone numbers that people remember easily.
  
• Audience issues: tailoring phone campaigns to different demographics; shared users; literacy/non-literacy; and obtaining phone numbers of the intended audience.
  
• Language and font issues, including readable size and languages appropriate for the audiences.
  
• Mobile operating systems, particularly issues around the closed operating system for mobiles.
  
• Big business and its effects on prices, roaming restrictions, and privacy.
  
• The political landscape of the mobile industry, which includes: human rights issues centred on working conditions of those who manufacture phones and mine resources to make them; environmental issues around the mining of materials for their manufacture; and possible health issues caused by mobile use.