Corporate TPS

What is the Information Commissioner's role?

The Information Commissioner's role is to enforce compliance with the Regulations which apply to telemarketing and other methods of electronic direct marketing. The TPS register is a statutory list whose legal status is recognised by those Regulations (The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003). However, the Register itself is managed by the Direct Marketing Association under contract to OFCOM. Consideration was given to the TPS register being maintained by the Information Commissioner's Office. It was decided that this was not appropriate because of the possibility that some marketers would attempt to engage the IC in protracted debates about the administration of the register rather than their non-compliance with the law.

The DMA sends the IC detailed statistical reports every two months which indicate which companies have been the subject of the most complaints to them. They do not pass to the IC, nor do they request, individual case records

This document is based on Crown Copyright © 2004