Solon proposes 'no calls, no text registry'

A lawmaker has sought the creation of a “No Calls and No Text Registry" where phone subscribers may enlist to shield themselves from unwanted promotional text messages and calls. In House Bill 4060, Pasig representative Roman Romulo has proposed to establish an expanded version of the US' “Do Not Call Registry", which has been successful in insulating consumers from intrusive telemarketers. Despite initial steps by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to rein in the surge of unsolicited messages in particular, Romulo lamented that the problem is getting worse. “We have to protect the privacy of consumers who are now being swamped with unwelcome messages and calls from all kinds of hawkers, including those engaged in advance-fee fraud and other deceptive activities," said Romulo, also House committee on information and communications technology vice chairman. “Many phone users even end up paying for automated recurring commercial text messages from which they have no means of readily unsubscribing. This is highly unfair business practice," added Romulo. Once Romulo’s bill is enacted, the NTC will be mandated to set up the “No Calls and No Text Registry" where every adult may enlist up to three phone numbers online. All telemarketers and vendors will be required to register with the NTC. They will then have to dutifully search and delete from their call and messaging lists the numbers in the registry. They will have access only to the numbers in the registry. They will not have access to the names and personal details associated with the numbers. Those who send or make uninvited promotional messages or calls to numbers in the registry face punitive fines up to P100,000 per instance of violation. As of March 31, the country’s three mobile phone service providers reported 88 million in combined subscribers. PLDT had 46.6 million subscribers; Globe Telecom, 27.3 million; and Digitel, 14.06 million. In the US, an overwhelming majority of adults have indicated that they have received fewer telemarketing calls or none at all since they enlisted in the “Do Not Call Registry" that was established in 2003. The registry is managed by the Federal Trade Commission, America’s consumer protection agency, pursuant to a Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Registration does not bar calls from organizations with which subscriber has established a business relationship; calls for which the subscriber has given prior written permissions; calls which are not commercial or do not include unsolicited advertisements; and calls by or on behalf of tax-exempt non-profit organizations. — Newsbytes.ph