The Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA) was the regulatory body for all premium rate phone-paid services in the United Kingdom. These are the content, goods and services that consumers can buy by charging the cost to their phone bills and pre-pay phone accounts.[1]
It was founded in 1986 as the Independent Committee for the supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services[2] (ICSTIS) at the request of three network operators (British Telecom, Mercury Communications, and Vodafone) as a response to public criticism of their profiting from adult premium rate content. It re-branded[3] itself as PhonepayPlus (PPP) in June 2007[4] and then as Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA) in November 2016.[5]
The PSA's authority to regulate Controlled Premium Rate Services (CPRS) came from Section 120 and 121 of the Communications Act 2003[6] and through Ofcom's Premium Rate Services Condition.[7]
PSA regulated those services using a Code of Practice,[8][9] approved by Ofcom. This set out the rules with which all such providers must comply. Among other things, it required clear and accurate pricing information, honest advertising and service content, and appropriate and targeted promotions. At first the code was updated approximately annually; in more recent times less often. For example, Code 14 was published in 2016, Code 15 was published in 2021 and came into force in 2022.
The Phone-paid Services Authority investigated complaints about phone-paid services. Where it decided that its rules have been broken, it could fine the company responsible, bar access to its services, and even bar the individual behind the company from running other services under a different company name. Investigations and adjudications were free to consumers and were supposed to be fully independent.
The Phone-paid Services Authority regulated a subset of services using the following number ranges: 087, 090, 091, 098 and 118, plus five-, six-, and seven-digit mobile voice and text shortcodes beginning with a 6, 7 or 8.[10] PSA also regulated specific high-risk services such as sexual entertainment services as well as chat lines and call-connection services (ICSS),[11] irrespective of call price or number range used. It also regulated services operating on numbers starting 070 until the 2019 Ofcom reform of this number range removed the underlying basis for premium rate charges[12] and internet dialler-operated services until 1 February 2025 these having been deemed by Ofcom to be obsolete.[13]
On 25 October 2024, Ofcom published their official notice stating that Ofcom will formally withdraw its approval of the PSA Code on 1 February 2025 and will take the regulation of Controlled Premium Rate Services (CPRS) back in-house on that date.[14] A number of key PSA staff have already been embedded within Ofcom for some time in preparation for this.[15] The PSA Code of Practice will be replaced by Ofcom's Regulation of Premium Rate Services Order 2024[16] on that date, using the powers granted by Section 122 of the Communications Act 2003.[6] These changes follow a public consultation held by Ofcom in 2023.[17] The consultation document states that it was the PSA Board that had suggested to Ofcom that they take back direct control of these functions. Additionally, the changeover had originally been planned for an earlier date but was delayed by the calling of an earlier than expected General Election.[14]
Phone-paid Services Authority powers
When the Phone-paid Services Authority upheld a breach of its Code, the company responsible must immediately amend the service and/or its promotional material so that it complied with the Code. In most cases, companies found in breach of the Code were charged to cover the cost of the investigation.
The Phone-paid Services Authority also had the power to impose the following sanctions:
formal reprimands;
making companies come to the regulator for prior approval;
ordering companies to pay full refunds to complainants;
imposing fines;
barring access to services;
banning named persons from operating services.
As of 1 February 2025, Ofcom will wield these powers directly.
