Who This Is For / When to Use
This article is for:
Accounts sending SMS or MMS through Kyrios that traverse the T-Mobile network.
Compliance, legal, and operations teams responsible for messaging content.
Any account using A2P 10DLC messaging in the United States.
Use this document to understand what content is prohibited, how fines are applied, and the financial and operational impact of violations.
What Is a Sev-0 Violation
A Sev-0 violation is the most severe level of consumer messaging violation enforced by T-Mobile.
Sev-0 violations apply to any A2P message that contains prohibited content and is delivered through the T-Mobile network.
These violations represent high-risk content that can cause consumer harm, fraud, or legal exposure.
When Enforcement Begins
Effective date: February 15, 2024
Scope: All messaging traffic that traverses the T-Mobile network
Any Sev-0 violation occurring on or after this date is subject to fines.
Sev-0 Fine Tiers and Costs
Tier 1 — $2,000 per violation
Applied to the most severe consumer harm categories:
Phishing (including simulated phishing used for security testing or training)
Smishing
Social engineering
Social engineering includes any technique designed to manipulate recipients into sharing sensitive information such as:
Passwords
Credit card numbers
Banking details
Authentication codes
Tier 2 — $1,000 per violation
Applied to:
Illegal content
Important:
Content must be legal federally and in all 50 U.S. states.
If content is illegal in any state, it qualifies as a violation.
Tier 3 — $500 per violation
Applied to all other prohibited commercial messaging, including but not limited to:
SHAFT content (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco)
SHAFT content is only permitted if it fully complies with:
Federal law
State law
All required regulations (such as age-gating where applicable)
Content Categories That Trigger Sev-0 Violations
A Sev-0 violation may be issued for messages that include:
Fraudulent or deceptive messaging
Credential harvesting or impersonation attempts
Financial scams
Illegal products or services
Regulated content sent without required compliance controls
This applies regardless of intent, including:
Testing campaigns
Internal security simulations
Educational or training scenarios
Account Suspension and Network Access Risk
T-Mobile reserves the right to:
Suspend brands permanently
Disable campaigns permanently
Revoke an account’s access to the T-Mobile network
These actions may occur if violations are deemed excessive, even beyond monetary fines.
How Kyrios Applies These Fines
Sev-0 violations also breach Kyrios messaging policies.
Kyrios passes all Sev-0 fines directly to the account responsible for the violation.
Fines are applied per violation, not per campaign.
Notification and Billing Process
If a Sev-0 violation occurs:
The account receives a Sev-0 violation notice.
The corresponding fine is assessed based on the violation tier.
The fine amount is charged to the account.
Compliance Responsibility
Each account is fully responsible for:
Reviewing all outbound messaging content
Ensuring compliance with carrier rules
Ensuring compliance with federal and state law
Kyrios does not modify or filter message intent and cannot override carrier enforcement.
FAQ
What carriers enforce Sev-0 fines?
T-Mobile enforces Sev-0 fines for A2P messaging traffic on its network.
Do simulated phishing or security test messages count as violations?
Yes. Simulated phishing, even when used for training or security testing, qualifies as a Tier 1 Sev-0 violation.
Are fines charged per campaign or per message?
Fines are issued per Sev-0 violation, as determined by the carrier.
Can Kyrios reverse or waive these fines?
No. These fines are enforced by T-Mobile and are passed through directly to the account.
Can my account lose messaging access?
Yes. T-Mobile may permanently suspend campaigns, brands, or full network access if violations are excessive.