Crackdown on nuisance phone calls

NEW laws that make it easier to punish companies who make nuisance calls and send texts will "make a difference", the privacy watchdog has said.

The ICO received 175,330 reports of nuisance calls and texts last yearGETTY - POSED

The ICO received 175,330 reports of nuisance calls and texts last year

From today, the Information Commissioner's Office will just have to prove that a company has committed a serious breach of the law in order to issue a fine.

Previously it had to prove that those responsible for nuisance calls or spam texts had caused "substantial damage or substantial distress" - which the ICO said was "not easy for us to do".

The change will help us to make more fines stick, and more fines should prove a real deterrent to the people making these calls

Christopher Graham, Information Commissioner

Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said: "We've been pushing for this change for two years, and we're sure it will make a difference.

"The change will help us to make more fines stick, and more fines should prove a real deterrent to the people making these calls."

The law allows firms to make marketing calls without prior permission, but they must first check the Telephone Preference Service, which lists individuals who have opted out of such contact.

The ICO received 175,330 reports of nuisance calls and texts last year and issued £360,000 of fines in the year to March.

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