This looks intriguing!
jwm
Professor's new website aims to stop the phone from ringing
MATT HARTLEY
From Friday's Globe and Mail
March 28, 2008 at 4:29 AM EDT
Think of it as a do-not-call registry for the do-it-yourself crowd.
Canadians looking to put a stop to pesky telemarketing calls before the federal government's do-not-call registry takes effect this summer have a new tool at their disposal.
At IOptOut.ca, Canadians can enter their phone number and e-mail address and simply choose the organizations they would prefer not to hear from while the website generates a mass request that the user be added to those companies' do-not-call lists.
The site, a beta version of which was launched yesterday, is the brainchild of University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist and features information on how to avoid telemarketing calls from more than 140 different companies and organizations.
"It's individual Canadians who have indicated that they are desperate for just this kind of system and who have been left with the phone literally ringing off the hook."
Canada's do-not-call registry legislation, Bill C-37, was first introduced by the Liberals in 2004 and became law in late 2005.
The law is similar to its U.S. counterpart and provides Canadians with the ability to register their phone numbers on a list which prevents them from receiving future telemarketing calls.
However, charities, political parties, survey firms, newspapers and businesses "with prior relationships" are exempt from the bill and can continue to make calls after the bill takes effect this summer.
Organizations must remove a person's phone number from their calling list if they are requested to do so.
Mr. Geist said that iOptOut helps Canadians finish the job that the do-not-call registry failed to complete.
"It came out of a sense of disappointment with how slow Canada has been to implement the do-not-call registry as well as frustration with the number of exemptions," he said.
In addition to the request generator, the website also features information on the do-not-call registry as well as a collaborative "wiki" page where users can upload information about how to opt-out of receiving calls from other organizations who find a way around the legislation.
Mr. Geist said the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has faced pressure from lobby groups seeking to water down the legislation, something which has held up its implementation.
"There hasn't been enough of a push from the parties that count," he said. "There's been some reluctance from a government perspective, from a regulator perspective - the CRTC - and that's caused huge problems. There are insufficient dollars behind it so the CRTC has effectively outsourced every aspect."
jwm
Professor's new website aims to stop the phone from ringing
MATT HARTLEY
From Friday's Globe and Mail
March 28, 2008 at 4:29 AM EDT
Think of it as a do-not-call registry for the do-it-yourself crowd.
Canadians looking to put a stop to pesky telemarketing calls before the federal government's do-not-call registry takes effect this summer have a new tool at their disposal.
At IOptOut.ca, Canadians can enter their phone number and e-mail address and simply choose the organizations they would prefer not to hear from while the website generates a mass request that the user be added to those companies' do-not-call lists.
The site, a beta version of which was launched yesterday, is the brainchild of University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist and features information on how to avoid telemarketing calls from more than 140 different companies and organizations.
"It's individual Canadians who have indicated that they are desperate for just this kind of system and who have been left with the phone literally ringing off the hook."
Canada's do-not-call registry legislation, Bill C-37, was first introduced by the Liberals in 2004 and became law in late 2005.
The law is similar to its U.S. counterpart and provides Canadians with the ability to register their phone numbers on a list which prevents them from receiving future telemarketing calls.
However, charities, political parties, survey firms, newspapers and businesses "with prior relationships" are exempt from the bill and can continue to make calls after the bill takes effect this summer.
Organizations must remove a person's phone number from their calling list if they are requested to do so.
Mr. Geist said that iOptOut helps Canadians finish the job that the do-not-call registry failed to complete.
"It came out of a sense of disappointment with how slow Canada has been to implement the do-not-call registry as well as frustration with the number of exemptions," he said.
In addition to the request generator, the website also features information on the do-not-call registry as well as a collaborative "wiki" page where users can upload information about how to opt-out of receiving calls from other organizations who find a way around the legislation.
Mr. Geist said the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has faced pressure from lobby groups seeking to water down the legislation, something which has held up its implementation.
"There hasn't been enough of a push from the parties that count," he said. "There's been some reluctance from a government perspective, from a regulator perspective - the CRTC - and that's caused huge problems. There are insufficient dollars behind it so the CRTC has effectively outsourced every aspect."
