Do Not Call (DNC) Registry To Partially Launch From 2 Dec 2013

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With effect from 2 January 2014, organisations will have to check the Do Not Call (DNC) Registry before sending telemarketing messages to consumers with Singapore telephone numbers.

Set up by the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC), the DNC Registry is a secure database for consumers to register their Singapore telephone numbers if they wish to opt out of receiving unsolicited telemarketing messages. Only 8-digit numbers starting with 3, 6, 8 or 9 can be registered with the DNC registry.

These telemarketing messages – sent via voice calls, text messages and faxes – are those which offer, advertise or promote goods and services for commercial purposes.

Mr Leong Keng Thai, Chairman of PDPC said, “With the setting up of the DNC Registry, organisations can now focus more efficiently on consumers who are interested to receive information on products and services. Consumers will also have the flexibility to decide if and how they want to receive telemarketing messages. The PDPC will monitor market developments and ensure that the DNC Registry benefits both organisations and individuals.”

PDPC finalised the business operation rules of the DNC Registry after taking into consideration feedback received during the public consultation it conducted in May 2013.

DNC Registry for Organisations

Under the requirements of the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA), organisations, whether based in Singapore or overseas, must check with the DNC Registry to ensure that the Singapore telephone numbers that they are sending telemarketing messages to, are not listed in the Registry.

To check the numbers, organisations have to set up an account with the DNC Registry and then submit their lists of telephone numbers for checking. Organisations can continue sending telemarketing messages to consumers who have registered with the DNC Registry if they have proof of the consumers’ prior consent.

Individuals such as freelancers, real estate and insurance agents and those who are not employed by an organisation but wish to engage in telemarketing activities must also set up accounts in order to check with the DNC Registry.

Local organisations and individuals have to pay the DNC Registry a one-time fee of $30 to set up their accounts while foreign organisations pay $60. Organisations pay one “credit” to check each telephone number.

Every organisation or individual with an account in the Registry will be given 500 free credits annually, which means that they will be able to check 500 telephone numbers for free each year. This is part of PDPC’s efforts to help organisations, particularly the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to lower their compliance cost.

Validity Period of Telephone Numbers Checked

Upon checking that the telephone numbers submitted by the organisations are allowed for telemarketing purposes, the Registry will return the numbers to the organisations. These numbers can be used for telemarketing over a period of 30 days. Once the validity period expires, organisations have to re-check the numbers with the Registry.

In anticipation of organisations needing more time to adjust to the checking requirement, PDPC will allow the checked numbers to be used for up to 60 days from 2 January 2014 to 1 July 2014. Thereafter, the checked numbers can only be used for 30 days before re-checking is required.

DNC Registry for Consumers

Consumers who do not wish to receive telemarketing messages via phone call, SMS or fax, can list their Singapore telephone numbers with the DNC Registry. They can register at the DNC website (www.dnc.gov.sg), send an SMS to the Registry or call the DNC toll-free numbers.

Consumers’ DNC registration is free and does not expire. Consumers may deregister their telephone numbers anytime. The registration will also cease when consumers terminate their telephone numbers.

Consumers can expect to stop receiving unsolicited telemarketing messages up to 60 days after registering their telephone numbers before 2 July 2014; and 30 days after registering on or after 2 July 2014.

Early Registration with the Do Not Call Registry

Although the DNC Registry will be officially launched on 2 January 2014, organisations can access the DNC Registry website to create accounts and purchase credits in advance from 2 December 2013 onwards. They can start checking telephone numbers with effect from 2 January 2014.

Consumers can also list their telephone numbers with the DNC Registry with effect from 2 December 2013.

DNC Registry – Account Creation and Charges

Organisations can log on to www.dnc.gov.sg to create their accounts in the DNC Registry. Organisations will need to select the account type (“main account”, “sub account” or “checking on behalf of other organisations”) and provide a SingPass and Unique Entity Number (UEN) for the registration. An email notification will be sent to the organisation’s designated email account after payment to activate the account.

Each organisation is allowed to create one main account and unlimited number of sub-accounts in the DNC Registry to facilitate distributed telemarketing functions in large organisations without the need to share a single account.

Organisations can also check the DNC Registry on behalf of other organisations. This facilitates compliance and avoids having multiple organisations checking the same list.

Foreign organisations can create a DNC Registry account to access and check telephone numbers without the need to go through a local organisation. This will allow foreign organisations that want to adhere to the DNC requirements in the PDPA to do, and reduce unwanted marketing calls from overseas operations, thus benefitting consumers in Singapore.

The account creation charges for organisations are as follows:

To check the telephone numbers, organisations can pay in advance for “credits” where one credit will be deducted for each telephone number checked. The cost for each credit ranges from 1 cent to 2.5 cents, depending on the total number of credits purchased. Organisations can also pay only when they check the telephone numbers with the Registry, at a minimum purchase value of $10.

The two pricing schemes for organisations checking the DNC Registry are as follows:

Pricing for Pay-Per-Use Scheme:

The above charges will be effective from 2 December 2013 onwards.

DNC Registry – Registration by Consumers

Consumers’ DNC registration is free and does not expire. Consumers may deregister their telephone numbers anytime. The registration will also cease when consumers terminate their telephone numbers.

Consumers can opt out of receiving telemarketing messages by listing their telephone numbers in one or all three of DNC Registers:

a) No Voice Call Register

To opt out from receiving telemarketing calls.

b) No Text Message Register

To opt out from receiving telemarketing text messages, such as SMS or MMS.

c) No Fax Message Register

To opt out from receiving telemarketing fax messages or if their telephone number is not a fax number.

Consumers can register through the following methods:

(a) Online @ DNC Registry Website – consumers can log on to www.dnc.gov.sg for registration/deregistration.

(b) SMS – consumers can send SMS to the following numbers for registration:

(c) Phone call – consumers can call the following toll-free numbers for registration:

Some consumers may continue to receive telemarketing messages after registration with the DNC Registry if they have given specific organisations their clear and unambiguous consent in written or other accessible form before the DNC Registry provisions came into effect.

Consumers can also give consent to specific organisations to send them telemarketing messages even after they are registered on the DNC Registry. In such cases, the consent given will take precedence over the DNC registration.

Organisations can also continue to send consumers messages that do not contain any telemarketing message, such as service calls or reminder messages for services that they have subscribed to.

The above numbers will be effective from 2 December 2013 onwards.

About Personal Data Protection Commission

The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) administers the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 in Singapore, which aims to safeguard individuals’ personal data against misuse and promote proper management of personal data in organisations.

In addition, the Act will enhance Singapore’s competitiveness and strengthen our position as a trusted business hub, putting Singapore on par with the growing list of countries with data protection laws. For more information, please visit www.pdpc.gov.sg.

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