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Nuisance calls to mobiles on the rise

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New Which? research has revealed, despite a crackdown on unwanted calls over the past two years, mobile phone users are still receiving a large number of nuisance calls with many not realising they could register their mobile number with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).

As Which? launches a new free text service to help people combat nuisance calls, our survey found, in the space of a month, one in ten (10%) mobile phone users reported they’d received more than 20 unwanted calls. Our latest research shows that nuisance calls to mobile phones are on the rise with seven in ten (72%) saying they had at least one call to their mobile compared to more than half (55%) in 2013.

However, Ofcom and Telephone Preference Service (TPS) data reveals, of the 78.9m active mobile phone subscriptions in the UK, just 3% (2.4m) are registered with the TPS. While two thirds (65%) are aware of the TPS, we found only around a third (36%) of people said they think that the TPS could be used to block unsolicited calls to mobiles compared to almost all (96%) who thought it could be used with landlines. Each individual number has to be logged with the TPS.

Which? has worked with the TPS to launch a brand new free text service (text OPTOUT to 80057) which allows people to register their mobile phone numbers.

Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd, said:

“With the number of nuisance calls to mobile phones on the rise, its vital people register their phone if they want to help protect themselves from this everyday menace.

“The Government, regulators and business need to continue to work together to tackle nuisance calls, with further action to cut them off at source and make senior executives accountable if their company is caught flouting the rules.”

More than 280,000 people have backed our Calling Time campaign, and a number of major companies have also publicly pledged their support.

The nuisance calls and texts task force, led by Which?, has outlined recommendations to introduce tougher rules and more action from businesses, the regulators and the Government.

We want:

  • The Government to make senior executives accountable for their company’s unlawful nuisance calls, and require businesses to show their number when they call;
  • Businesses to support our campaign by making a public commitment to tackle nuisance calls; and
  • Regulators to give people more power by putting them in control of how their personal data is used.

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