The Government has finally confirmed that any UK company making direct marketing calls to consumers will have to display their phone number from mid-May; a measure which the DMA has been demanding for nearly a year.
The industry body has long championed the introduction of mandatory caller-ID, as it is already a requirement of the DMA Code.
The Government claims new legislation, first revealed in January this year, will further strengthen the powers of the Information Commissioner’s Office; companies found breaching the law by making nuisance calls can be fined up to £500,000 depending on the type of calls and severity of the case.
However, it is still powerless to act on calls from abroad, which will require the intervention of UK telecoms companies.
Nevertheless, Baroness Neville Rolfe, the minister responsible for data protection, said the clampdown sent a clear message to rogue direct marketing companies, adding: “Nuisance calls are unacceptable and we will not hesitate to take action against the companies behind them.”
John Mitchison, head of preference services, compliance and legal at the DMA, added: “We welcome this announcement by Baroness Neville Rolfe and DCMS, who we’ve been working with on this issue since the initial consultation stage.
“Displaying your phone number when making any form of direct marketing call has been our recommendation and part of the DMA Code for many years so we’re happy to now see this reflected in the legislation. This change will make it easier for consumers to identify the legitimate companies and report the rogue operators to the relevant authorities and the Telephone Preference Service.”
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