The invention relates to a technique for controlling the distribution of content items such as advertisements, news, etc., to user devices in a mobile communications network. A method embodiment of the technique is performed in a distribution control gateway of the mobile communications network and comprises the steps of receiving, from a content provider server, a target user indication indicative of one or more target user devices for presentation of a content item; accessing a provider registry for determining a provider authorization of the content provider server; accessing a user registry for determining a user authorization for receiving the content item from the content provider server; and initiating a transmission of the content item to one or more of the target user devices.