Tuesday, 4 April 2006
Australian Minister of Communications Helen Coonan today announced the formation of a National Do Not Call Register. The Register, which is due to be up and running by early 2007, will allow individuals and small businesses to opt out of receiving unsolicited telemarketing calls. There will be no cost for listing in the Register.
Enforcement of the Register, which will apply to all telemarketers operating in Australia (and overseas telemarketers representing Australian companies), will include warnings, fines, formal directions, and financial penalties. The Register will not apply to organisations that may have public interest objectives (ie, charity groups and persons undertaking social research), nor to companies with an existing commercial relationship with the individual or small business.
The cost of setting up the Register is estimated to be A$33 million, with the Government providing A$17.2 million, and the remainder to be provided by industry.
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5 Responses to “Finally – a Do Not Call Register”
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April 4th, 2006 at 4:11 pm
Though I’m for any move to restrict unsolicited commercial contact (via phone, email, etc), it’s ridiculous for people to have to give up privacy to accomplish it.
Granted, joining a list of people who don’t want to get phoned at 9pm by a backpacker touting holiday plans isn’t a huge deal, but it’s the principle.
Why shouldn’t the register be opt-in to receive calls, rather than the other way around?
April 4th, 2006 at 8:29 pm
I’m not sure that you really give up privacy by going on the Register. As I understand, many telemarketers obtain phone numbers by opening the white pages (or at least this is typically what they tell me when I say that I do not want to be phoned again).
May 26th, 2006 at 10:28 am
[…] At lightning speed, following on a 4 April announcement, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, has introduced Do Not Call Register legislation. […]
May 31st, 2006 at 2:52 pm
[…] […]
June 23rd, 2006 at 2:21 pm
[…] The Do Not Call Register legislation (previously noted on LawFont) was today passed in the Senate. There is no word on its date of commencement (and nothing on Senator Coonan’s home page yet either, although there is a release about government subsidising of internet porn filters that I noted noted the other day). Edited to update: ACMA now has a press release online stating that the register “is expected to be up and running in 2007″. […]