Posted: 25 February, 2015. Written by Mark
Changes set to come into effect on 6 April 2015 will make it easier for companies making unwanted marketing calls and texts to be hit with fines of up to £500,000.
Currently the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has the power to issue monetary penalties of up to £500,000 but only if it is able to prove that the marketing calls or messages caused, or had the potential to cause, ‘substantial damage or distress’. On 6 April this bar will be lowered to make it easier for the ICO to fine companies breaching Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.
The Government will also look at introducing measures to hold board level executives responsible for nuisance calls and texts. This follows a report from the Which?-led taskforce last December, which called for a review of the rules in order to act as a stronger deterrent to rogue companies.
You can find further information on the Department for Culture, Media & Sport website here and on the ICO website here.