Overview

You can mute or block listeners in Text Groove to keep your inbox clean, but you can’t permanently stop someone from texting your station. Here’s how it works and why that distinction matters.

How blocking works in Text Groove

When you block or mute a listener in Text Groove, their profile is moved into a quarantine space. Their messages stop appearing in your inbox, which helps keep things manageable for your team.

You can unblock or unmute that listener at any time.

What this doesn’t do is stop the listener from technically texting your number. Their messages still reach the platform, they’re just hidden from view.

That separation is intentional and important for compliance.

Why permanent blocking isn’t allowed

Station text lines are public facing, and both legal frameworks and carrier standards expect them to stay accessible.

Permanently blocking someone from texting your station can create fairness and compliance issues, especially when texting is used for contests, promotions, or audience participation.

In Canada

Under the Competition Act, promotional contests are expected to follow adequate and fair disclosure and be administered in a way that isn’t misleading.

If texting is part of how listeners participate, permanently blocking someone could be seen as excluding them from access in a way that creates compliance concerns.

This is about risk management and fairness, not punishment.

In the United States

In the U.S., several consumer protection and contest principles come into play.

Broad consumer protection rules prohibit unfair or misleading practices. Blocking someone without their knowledge, particularly if texting is a way to enter a contest or interact with your station, could raise fairness concerns.

Contest and sweepstakes rules also expect promotions to be administered fairly and according to their published terms. If texting is a method of entry, permanently blocking a listener could conflict with those expectations.

What Carriers Expect

Beyond legal frameworks, carriers enforce their own messaging standards.

They closely monitor complaint rates, opt outs, and overall program behaviour. Messaging programs that generate issues or appear to restrict access in unexpected ways can face increased scrutiny or suspension.

From a practical standpoint, the safest approach is to manage visibility, not access. That’s why Text Groove supports inbox level blocking instead of permanent message rejection.

Why Text Groove handles blocking this way

By limiting blocking to inbox visibility rather than message eligibility, your station stays aligned with legal expectations and carrier standards in both Canada and the U.S.

FTC Act

This law prohibits unfair or deceptive practices. Blocking someone without their knowledge - especially if it affects their ability to enter a contest - could be seen as unfair.

Consumer Review Fairness Act

This protects consumers' rights to engage with businesses. Blocking someone entirely from messaging your station could violate that spirit, especially if it prevents contest participation.

Contest and Sweepstakes Laws

Federal and state rules say contests must be fair and accessible. If a listener is blocked from texting in, they may be unfairly excluded from participating.

A proactive way to manage unwanted messages

If you’re dealing with repeat issues or want more control before messages ever hit your inbox, our Message Filtering app is your best friend.

Message Filtering lets you proactively flag words or phrases, either by adding your own or selecting from our preset list. When a message matches, you choose what happens next:

• Hide the message from the Text Groove interface
• Remove matched words so the message stays readable
• Quarantine the message so it never reaches your inbox
• Automatically block the profile inside Text Groove

This approach keeps your inbox clean and your team comfortable, while still allowing listeners to text the station and participate when appropriate.