New laws to finally nail rogue call company bosses

Directors of companies which abuse nuisance call laws will finally be held to account for the actions of their businesses after the Government announced that, from spring 2017, they face individual fines of up to £500,000 each.
The move is in response to many rogues escaping fines, as previously only companies were liable, by declaring bankruptcy – only to open up again under a different name.
However, the Government has ignored DMA demands to bang up rogue directors.
Minister of State for Digital & Culture Matt Hancock said: “Nuisance callers are a blight on society, causing significant distress to elderly and vulnerable people. We have been clear that we will not stand for this continued harassment, and this latest amendment to the law will strike another blow to those businesses and company bosses responsible.”
The new measure follows the enforcement of caller IDs, as well as scrapping the threshold on the number of nuisance calls required to take enforcement action.
Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said: “The people running nuisance call companies have little regard for the anxiety and upset they cause all in the name of turning a fast profit. We are inundated with complaints from people who are left shaken and distressed by the intrusion on their daily lives.
“Making directors responsible will stop them ducking away from fines by putting their company into liquidation. It will stop them leaving by the back door as the regulator comes through the front door.”