The days of unsolicited SMSs, endless calls and annoying e-mails from direct marketing companies trying to sell unwanted products are numbered, says a Saturday Star report. Direct marketing companies that use your personal information, such as contact details, without your consent, face harsh penalties, which include imprisonment or hefty fines of up to R10m, and three times that for those found guilty in court. These sanctions are proposed in the Protection of Personal Information Bill, now before Parliament’s Justice Committee. This week, officials from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development took the committee through the seventh working draft of the Bill, highlighting proposals which included penalties.
To block approaches from direct marketers, please visit the Direct Marketing Association’s webpage where you can choose to block their members from contacting you. Click on https://www.nationaloptout.co.za/.
No need to thank me for this information. My colleague Albert Marais did the homework after receiving unsolicited SMSs at 02h30.
