The flight was delayed by three hours and for once, the airline had sent the information in time. Except that it came in the form of an SMS and since the message box was full, the recipient never got to see the message about the delayed take off. As a result, he had to waste three hours at the airport. And what were those messages that had clogged the message box? One was an announcement about a contest, the other was promoting a marriage bureau, yet another, a dating service. Then there was one advertising a sale at a textiles shop, another one an insurance product and a home loan. There was an unwanted message about a television show too.

Sounds familiar? Today, telemarketing has gone beyond being just an irritant. Telecom Regulatory Commission (TRAI) estimates put the telemarketing calls made in India at approximately ten billion calls annually! Earlier they invaded our privacy, disturbed us at home and at work. Now they have even begun to affect our lives adversely and can therefore no more be taken lightly. Several consumers have missed important communications because of telemarketers jamming their mail box with messages. And they are not just upset, they are angry. At one time, consumers saw telemarketing as a necessary evil and wanted a “No call registry” to prevent such calls to those who did not wish to receive them, but today they want a blanket ban on telemarketing. It is therefore in the interest of those who are making these unsolicited calls (or sending messages) to regulate them, keeping in mind the interests of consumers. Or else, there might well be a strong demand for a clampdown on telemarketing per se.

Telemarketers may well argue about their right to advertise, promote a product or a service. Well, it’s time they realised that they cannot exercise that right at the cost of a consumer’s right to privacy. And if they fail to understand this, then they have to be made to understand. And the only way to do it is through a legislation that not only puts a stop to such unsolicited calls, but also provides for deterrent financial penalties in case of violation.

TRAI has come out with a consultation paper on the issue and has suggested a “Do not call Registry”. While the initiative is welcome, such a move has to be backed by a law that not only ensures consumers’ privacy, but provides for stiff financial penalties for violations and an effective mechanism for stringent enforcement. Or else the entire exercise would be futile.