Government wants to tackle nuisance calls
The government has launched a consultation on lowering the legal threshold before firms responsible for nuisance calls and texts can be fined £500,000. The law currently requires the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to prove a company caused ‘substantial damage or substantial distress’. The Government wants to reduce this to causing ‘annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety’, based on the ICO's recommendation.
Justice and Civil Liberties Minister, Simon Hughes, said:
'We have already increased the level of fine available to punish rogue companies. Now we want to make it easier to stamp it out by lowering the threshold for taking action against these companies so the Information Commissioner can move more quickly and deal more firmly with those who break the law.'