Forum reply on The Straits Times Interactive Online, 15 Jul 2014

WE REFER to Mr Tan Kin Lian's letter ("Let firms join Do Not Call list"; Forum Online, June 23).

The Do Not Call (DNC) rules were arrived at after a round of public consultation from Oct 31 to Dec 5 in 2011.

Mr Tan's suggestion for the DNC Registry to also include business phone numbers was one of the options mooted in the consultation in October 2011.

The views on this suggestion were divided. Some respondents were in favour, while others highlighted that allowing business numbers to be registered with the DNC Registry could impact daily business-to-business marketing practices such as business referrals.

The position that was eventually adopted was a balanced one. Businesses that do not wish to receive consumer telemarketing messages can register their Singapore business telephone numbers with the DNC Registry. Organisations, however, are allowed to send business-to-business telemarketing messages without the need to check the Registry.

Evelyn Goh (Ms) 
Director, Communications, Planning & Policy 
Personal Data Protection Commission