November 3, 2023 at 07:24AM
Digivo Media Ltd, trading as Rid My Debt, has been fined £50,000 ($61,110) by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for sending 415,000 unsolicited text messages to individuals who had registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). Similar fines were issued to MCP Online (£55,000) and Argentum Data Solutions (£65,000) for making unsolicited calls and sending direct marketing texts. The ICO is taking action against companies using predatory marketing communications to target vulnerable individuals and supports a proposed ban on cold calling for financial services. In 2022, the ICO has issued 34 fines, mostly for electronic marketing rule violations.
The meeting notes discuss recent fines imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on several companies for violating data privacy and electronic communications regulations. Here are the key points:
1. Digivo Media Ltd (trading as Rid My Debt) has been fined £50,000 ($61,110) by the ICO for sending 415,000 unsolicited text messages to individuals registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).
2. MCP Online has received a penalty of £55,000 ($67,221) for making unsolicited financial services calls related to pensions to individuals registered with TPS.
3. Argentum Data Solutions (ADS), a data processing and hosting provider, has been fined £65,000 ($79,443) for sending over 2.3 million direct marketing texts in partnership with third parties.
4. The ICO is committed to stopping companies that use predatory marketing communications to target vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly or those with dementia.
5. The ICO supports the government’s consultation on banning cold calling for consumer financial services and products to reduce predatory marketing calls.
6. ICO penalties for violations of electronic marketing rules are frequent and substantial.
7. In 2022, the ICO issued 34 fines, with the majority related to breaking electronic marketing rules, generating £16 million ($19.5 million) in total fines.
Please let me know if you need any further information or clarification on these meeting notes.