Tag: Direct Marketing

New guidance on direct marketing and the public sector from ICO

Stuart Mitchell

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published a new resource to help public sector organisations understand when the direct marketing rules will apply to their messages. The guidance is aimed at those responsible for data protection within public sector organisations. Direct marketing is broad and covers all types of advertising or marketing that is directed at individuals. It involves any type of communication including emails, text messages, direct messaging on social media and more traditional methods such as phone calls and post. It includes commercial marketing (eg the promotion of…

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PRCA & LGcomms raise public sector concerns in ICO Consultation on Direct Marketing

Stuart Mitchell

The PRCA and LGcomms have issued a joint response to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) consultation on the Direct Marketing Code. The industry bodies have raised concerns regarding the ICO’s plans to classify all communication from public sector bodies as commercial and promotional. Examples of public sector communication that would be considered promotional include messages from GP surgeries regarding the availability of flu vaccinations for residents.   The new guidance would impose an unnecessary burden on public sector professionals who work in departments that are overstretched and under-resourced. The PRCA and LGcomms…

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No escape for UK company bosses responsible for nuisance calls

Stuart Mitchell

New legislation comes into force which means the UK data protection watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), can now hold company bosses directly responsible. Previously some had liquidated their firms to avoid big penalties. There is now no hiding place for the small minority of rogue directors who have previously tried to escape justice. We are determined to stamp this menace out and this new law is the latest in a series of measures to rid society of the plague of nuisance calls. Estimates by Ofcom show British consumers were…

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