The DNC registry lets you opt out of marketing messages addressed to your Singapore telephone number, such as those which promote or advertise a good or service, allowing you to have more control over the kind of messages you receive on your telephone, mobile phone, or fax machine.

The DNC regime under the PDPA prohibits organisations from sending such messages to Singapore telephone numbers, including mobile, fixed-line, residential and business numbers, registered with the registry.

The DNC registry is meant to focus on telemarketing calls or messages of a commercial nature sent to consumers. Messages for pure market survey or research; messages that promote charitable or religious causes; personal messages sent by individuals; public messages sent by government agencies; and political messages will not be covered under the DNC registry provisions. Telemarketing calls or messages of a commercial nature that target other businesses are also excluded from the DNC registry provisions. For the list of messages that are excluded under the PDPA, please refer to the Eighth Schedule of the PDPA.

You may register in any of the three DNC Registers, based on your preference:

• Voice message;
• Text message, including Short Messaging Service (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS); and
• Fax message.

You can still choose to receive marketing messages by certain organisations, simply by giving them your clear and unambiguous consent in written or other accessible form. Organisations that have obtained your consent may then send marketing messages to your Singapore telephone number, even if it is registered with the DNC registry. If you change your mind, you will be able to withdraw your consent from the organisation concerned (subject to existing contracts).

To allow time for organisations to review and adopt internal personal data protection policies and practices and comply with the PDPA, provisions relating to the DNC registry will come into force in early 2014. Details on registering with the DNC registry will be provided in due course.