NCC readies opt-out registry as direct marketers face registration
A new national list aims to give South Africans a way to stop unwanted marketing calls and texts, but it only works if the companies making those calls sign up too.
eNCA reports that the National Consumer Commission is preparing to launch an Opt-Out Registry, a system intended to give South Africans a way to block unwanted telemarketing calls and text messages. You can read the original report here.
The registry will let consumers create profiles and record that they do not want to receive direct marketing calls and messages. The commission says the system is ready and that the official launch date will be announced soon.
What the commission is asking consumers to do now
NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba has urged consumers to go to the commission’s website and create their profiles ahead of the launch.
“What you need to do right now is to visit our website at the NCC. You will be able to create a profile as a consumer,” Ntaba said.
The commission is engaging with direct marketers and selected industries as part of its preparations. It is also calling on technology companies and other suitable partners to help make the registry accessible to as many South Africans as possible, describing those partnerships as part of the rollout work.
Why the marketers matter as much as the list
The registry depends on both sides of the call. The commission says all direct marketers are expected to register on the platform to ensure compliance with the Consumer Protection Act, and that consumers cannot effectively opt out if the companies doing the marketing are not in the system.
“Without direct marketers in the system, it’s not going to be easy for you to opt out,” Ntaba said.
That is the practical test for the registry. A consumer’s instruction to stop marketing only holds if the businesses making the calls and sending the messages are registered and checking the list.
What it means for your phone
Unwanted marketing contact is a daily irritation for many South Africans and, at its worst, a route into fraud. A working opt-out list gives households a single place to record that they do not want the calls, rather than having to ask each company individually or block numbers one at a time.
The commission has not yet given a launch date. Until it does, the step available to consumers is to create a profile on the NCC website, and the step available to direct marketers is to register on the platform the commission is preparing.
Source: eNCA. Read the original item.
