ICO responds to proposed consumer financial services cold calling ban

02/10/2023 | ICO

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has responded to the HM Treasury consultation on the ban on cold calling for consumer financial services and products.

In its response, the ICO explained that the rules governing the use of electronic communications for direct marketing are provided under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR). While the ICO believes that restricting unsolicited direct marketing calls can help reduce predatory behaviour, if the government prohibits unsolicited live telephone calls for financial products and services through amendments to PECR, clear definitions and exceptions must be defined to prevent scams and support regulatory enforcement. The ICO also anticipates the change will result in a rise in complaints and subsequent enforcement activity that must be accounted for to meet the increased demand.

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Cold calling

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