NCC: We’ll arrest, prosecute telemarketers illegally accessing customers’ data

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned telemarketers to desist from illegally accessing the telephone numbers of customers for their commercial activities and gains.

Telemarketing is a direct advertising method that involves contacting customers over the phone or via email.

In a statement on Thursday, signed by Umar Danbatta, executive vice-chairman of NCC, the commission said the telemarketers falsely claim that they obtain telecom consumers’ phone numbers from the regulator.

NCC said the defaulters also claim they are given access to the numbers through the subscriber identity module (SIM) registration database.

“These claims are not true,” NCC said.

“The commission fully abides by the principles and rules guiding the protection of privacy as a right of all consumers and users of telecommunications services.

“Therefore, no service provider or telemarketer is authorized to invade, harvest, or use subscriber data in any form or guise without the express approval of the consumer, except otherwise provided by law.

“The protection of the data of telecom subscribers by the commission is guaranteed in Section 35 (1) of the consumer code of practice regulations, 2007; Section 9 (1) of the Nigerian communications (registration of communications subscribers) regulations, 2022; and section 4.2 (a) & (b) of the NCC’s internet code of practice.”

The commission, therefore, said any telemarketer involved in harvesting telecom subscribers’ phone numbers and other personal details through dishonest means and using such for commercial purposes without regulatory approval, “would be arrested and prosecuted in keeping with the law”.

The consumers were also advised to “activate the do-not-disturb (DND) short code introduced by the NCC to manage their subscription to value-added services with the option to stop unsolicited text messages and other telemarketing offers”.

“This can be done by sending ‘STOP to 2442 short code for full DND,” the agency added.

The regulator asked customers who experience illegal activities by telemarketers, to report such cases to the commission by calling the NCC toll-free number 622 for necessary enforcement actions.