Government proposes mandatory caller ID for marketing calls

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has proposed to make the display of caller ID (also known as the Calling Line Identification or CLI) a requirement for all businesses making marketing calls

According to the proposals, companies that make telemarketing calls would have to display a caller ID, which will mean that consumers are better equipped to complain about rogue calls.

The DMA's head of external affairs Mike Lordan said, "Reputable companies take responsibility for their marketing activities. This means that they should display a valid CLI number in any marketing call. This way the company is accountable to its customers, who in turn have another reason to trust them.

“We expect DMA members to always display a valid CLI number when they make marketing calls. It’s a requirement in the DMA Code.

“We welcome any new regulations to make the display of CLI numbers the law. This will help drive out nuisance and rogue callers, and help consumers plagued by rogue callers to complain to the Telephone Preference Service, so they can in turn be effectively prosecuted by the Information Commissioner," he said.

The government estimates that around one in five marketing calls currently fail to display valid number, and one in five live and automated direct marketing calls that were reported to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a nuisance call did not provide valid caller ID.

These changes would make it easier for the ICO to prosecute rogue callers, and give the ICO extra enforcement powers to take action against those that fail to display a CLI.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister for data protection, said, "Being pestered by marketing calls is annoying at the best of times and at its worst it can bring real misery for the people on the receiving end. There is no simple solution to the problem of nuisance calls, but making direct marketing companies display their telephone number will help consumers and regulators take action.

“Companies are already being financially punished when they blatantly flout the rules, and mandatory caller ID is just another step we are taking as part of a closely coordinated effort with regulators, industry and consumer groups to tackle the problem.”

The six-week consultation closes on 23 February 2016 and you can contribute by clicking here. New measures will come into force in spring 2016.