ACCAN warns of 'telemarketing tsunami' unless Do-not-Call rules are amended

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 28 January 2010 00:00

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

ACCAN warns of 'telemarketing tsunami' unless Do-not-Call rules are amended

The Australian Consumers Communications Action Network (ACCAN) is hoping to make its first big impact on legislation with its bid to have the renewal requirement for the Do-Not-Call register dropped when legislation to amend the Act comes before Parliament next month.

"The flood gates to intrusive and unwanted telemarketing calls are about to open for millions of people who are unaware that their telephone number is about to be kicked off the Do Not Call Register," said ACCAN CEO, Allan Asher."

According to Asher the failure of the new legislation to address the three-year sunset clause is a glaring oversight that needs to be addressed, and the significance of which has escaped many members of Parliament.

"Immediate action needs to be taken to close the little known and ill-conceived loophole that limits registrations on the Do Not Call Register to three years," Asher said.

He cited ACMA research indicating that only 25 percent of people registered know that their registration is valid for only years, and only 15 percent know they can re-register anytime before registration expires.

""Forcing consumers to re-register their number is nonsensical. The renewal requirement was never a well-thought strategy in the first place and puts Australia behind international best practice," Asher said. "Instead of channelling funds into making people aware of registration renewal, resources would be far better placed in making numbers on the register permanent."

He suggested that members of Parliament were likely to take an interest in the issue, with the potential of "4.1 million consumers becoming targets for telemarketers in an election year."

The Act as initially drafted - and currently in force - applies only to consumer fixed and mobile phone numbers and requires users to renew their registration after three years. It came into force in May 2007 with about one million numbers pre-registered. Without changes to the legislation these numbers will be available to telemarketers after 1 May 2010 unless consumers renew their registration.