HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

We have all had the experience of answering our phone only to encounter yet another telemarketer's attempt to persuade you into making a purchase. While we acknowledge that the person on the other end is simply fulfilling their job, the relentless onslaught of calls and advertising messages can be overwhelmingly exhausting and annoying for anyone.

Thankfully, the imminent disappearance of these unwelcome calls is imminent, courtesy of Spain's General Telecommunications Law.

Effective from June 30, certain modifications to the law will come into effect, placing significant emphasis on the right to avoid receiving unsolicited commercial calls unless explicitly requested in advance. Article 66 of the law explicitly articulates the following:

"To further safeguard the lawful interests of consumers and users, operators are prohibited from initiating unsolicited phone calls to consumers and/or users for the purpose or effect of promoting or selling goods or services. This restriction is not applicable when the consumer and/or user has provided prior consent to receive commercial communications."

In essence, companies will be obligated to acquire prior consent before making any commercial calls. Furthermore, individuals who prefer not to receive such calls must exercise caution when accepting terms and conditions to ensure they elude becoming targets of unwanted marketing endeavours.

Moreover, the ‘General Law for the Defense of Consumers and Users’ maintains the existing timeframes for these types of calls, they are Monday through to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (excluding bank holidays). Additionally, operators have designated time slots for making calls, those times are between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

How can you avoid receiving spam calls?

To avoid receiving calls from companies that you have not given your permission to, you can register yourself on the Robinson List.

The Robinson List is a free advertising exclusion service, available to consumers, which aims to reduce the advertising they receive. Companies must consult the list, if they wish to send you personalised advertising without you having expressed your consent for them to do so.
If you are registered, companies will not legally be able to send you any form of advertising, as registered users on the list now have the power to refuse advertising calls by leveraging the services of the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD).

Anyone can register themselves onto the Robinson List service, voluntarily and free of charge. In the case of minors under the age of 14 years, it will be necessary for a parent or guardian to do it for them.

According to the listarobinson.es website, signing up is "quick and easy". It states that once you have completed the online form, you will receive an email asking you to verify your registration by a link. Once you have done this you will have the option to specify the channels through which you prefer not to receive advertising, such as your telephone numbers or email address.

The website also explains that "Your registration may take up to two months to become fully effective, since it is possible that your data is already being used by a commercial campaign in progress."

Sources

https://www.20minutos.es/tecnologia/actualidad/normativa-prohibira-llamadas-spam-30-junio-5133306/
https://www.listarobinson.es/
https://www.xatakandroid.com/comunicacion-y-mensajeria/mes-para-adios-a-llamadas-spam-tu-movil-ley-prohibira-tu-podras-tomar-medidas