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The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) announced today (January 7) that the do-not-call register for short messages would be launched on January 8, 2008.
This is the second do-not-call register since the full commencement of the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (UEMO) on December 22, 2007. The first do-not-call register is for faxes.
A spokesman for OFTA said, "The public can register their telephone numbers onto the do-not-call register for short messages to decline unsolicited commercial short messages. The do-not-call register for short messages covers short message service (SMS) messages and multimedia message service (MMS) messages sent over the mobile network as well as short messages sent over the fixed network. Registration can be done by calling the registration hotline 183 5001 using the phone of the number they intend to register.
"There is no deadline for registration. The public can register their numbers onto the do-not-call register for short messages on any day at any time (except 23:00-24:00 each day when the database undergoes updating) on or after January 8, 2008."
For numbers registered onto the do-not-call register for short messages before January 24, 2008, the protection under the UEMO will commence on February 5, 2008. For numbers registered on or after January 25, 2008, the protection will start on the 10th working day after the registration date. The public may check the registration date of their numbers at www.dnc.gov.hk. From January 25, 2008 onwards, the registration date of numbers listed on the do-not-call register for short messages can also be checked by calling the registration hotline 183 5001.
"The first do-not-call register is for fax messages and was launched on December 22, 2007. Up to January 6, 2008, a total of 19,013 numbers have been registered onto the do-not-call register for fax. There is no deadline for registration and the public can continue to register their numbers onto the do-not-call register for fax by calling the hotline 183 5002. Protection for the numbers already registered and any numbers to be registered before 11pm today will commence on January 18, 2008. For numbers registered onto the do-not-call register for fax on or after January 8, 2008, the protection will start on the 10th working day after the registration date," the spokesman continued.
"The registration hotline of the do-not-call register for short messages and that for fax are different. The hotline number for short messages is 183 5001 and that for fax is 183 5002," the spokesman noted.
The next and also the last do-not-call register is for pre-recorded telephone messages and will begin to accept registration from prefix-2 and -3 fixed line numbers starting from January 25, 2008. The register will begin to accept registration from prefix-6 and -9 mobile numbers starting from February 12, 2008, and March 4, 2008, respectively.
For more information about the three do-not-call registers and the UEMO, please visit OFTA's website at www.ofta.gov.hk/en/uem/main.html.
Background:
The UEMO fully commenced on December 22, 2007. Senders of commercial electronic messages are now required: (i) to provide accurate sender information and the unsubscribe facility in a message; (ii) to honour the recipients' unsubscribe requests; (iii) not to send messages to any telephone or fax numbers listed on a do-not-call register unless consent has been obtained from the recipient; (iv) not to withhold calling line identification information when sending pre-recorded telephone calls and fax messages; and (v) not to use misleading subject headings when sending email messages.
The Telecommunications Authority will issue enforcement notices to senders who have contravened the above rules. Failure to comply with enforcement notices may be subject to a fine of $100,000 on first conviction, and up to $500,000 on second and subsequent conviction.
Ends/Monday, January 7, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:55
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