Age International has become the latest charity to pledge to use only opt-in data in its telephone fundraising activity after signing an agreement with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
The move follows a similar agreement with the British Red Cross – revealed last month – and it is understood to be part of a wider ICO initiative to get up to 15 charities to commit to opt-in, following claims made by the Daily Mail over TPS abuse.
Like the Red Cross, Age International was cleared by the ICO’s investigation into the Mail claims that it was exploiting a loophole in the TPS.
However, ICO has raised more than a few eyebrows after refusing to issue guidance about donor consent to the third sector as a whole in its latest revamp of direct marketing guidance, insisting all organisations – whether not-for-profit or commercial – must follow the same rules.
Under the Age International deal, the charity has agreed to move to an opt-in fundraising model for its telephone fundraising within the next 12 months.
The agreement commits the organisation to calling potential donors only if they have specifically opted in to receiving calls in the previous two years. After this period, the charity will need fresh, informed consent to continue making telephone marketing calls.
A spokeswoman for Age International said in a statement: “Age International has signed up to the ICO voluntary agreement on the Privacy & Electronic Communications Regulations in telephone fundraising. This is a voluntary code and one that has additional agreements over and above those required by existing regulation.”
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