Which? response to APPG report on nuisance calls
Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director said:
“Millions of us are being bombarded with nuisance calls and texts and people are totally sick and tired of it. We’re pleased to see MPs recognising that the current system is failing the public and that the Government must go further and faster to call time on this menace.
“We need to see the law strengthened so people have greater control over use of their personal data and to make it easier for regulators to take action against companies breaking the rules.”
Notes to Editors:
1. Consumers can join the 91,000 people who are supporting the Which? Calling Time on nuisance calls and texts campaign by visiting www.which.co.uk/
2. The Government should go further to make changes to the way consumers’ data is used by introducing:
- An expiry date when a person consents to being contacted by ‘selected third parties.
- A requirement for businesses to demonstrate that they have consent to carry out marketing rather than the ICO having to ‘prove a negative’ by showing the business didn’t have consent.
- The rules to be extended to include firms selling on personal data, not just those that conduct direct marketing
3. Previous Which? research found more than 8 in 10 people (83%) reported that they have received an unsolicited call on their home landline in the past month. Eight in ten people say that cold calls are an annoying interruption to their daily lives, while one third say they have felt intimidated by them. More than half of people (56%) say they have been discouraged from picking up their landline phone when it rings owing to cold calls. ~ Populus surveyed 2065 UK adults online between 25-26 September 2013. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all UK adults. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
Statement