Welcome to Visitors from Outside the USA

Australia · Canada · Hong Kong · New Zealand · United Kingdom · Other Countries · (Other Languages)

What's specific to the USA and other countries

Some junk is international

The US clearly leads the world in the field of junk communications, but other countries are catching up as technology and culture globalize. Some kinds of junk are already international, such as junk email and cookies, so our pages on these topics are equally applicable everywhere.

Other kinds of junk are only just starting to cross national borders, such as junk mail and telemarketing calls. Our pages on these topics are oriented towards the US, particularly in the legal details and procedures for stopping unwelcome solicitations. However, we want to help people all over the world as far as local laws permit.

If you have details on laws and procedures in your country for stopping junk, please drop up an note and give us your pointers.

Here is some country-specific information on dealing with junk in other major English-speaking countries. For information about privacy legislation, see Privacy International's list of Country Reports.

Australia

The Australian Direct Marketing Association's web site provides a Do Not Contact service that accepts requests over the Web. (Good on them for providing the services online and avoiding naming it with euphemisms.) There's also the offline option of writing to:

ADMA - Do Not Contact Service, Reply Paid 464, Kings Cross, NSW 2011 (Phone: (02) 9368-0366; Fax: (02) 9368-0866)

We used to provide a sample letter to them but since they have been consumer-friendly enough to make it easy to use, we see no need to add to everyone's transaction costs by sending requests by mail.

Two internationally known privacy experts, Roger Clarke and Justice M.D. Kirby, have influenced the privacy policies of Australia and other governments. Australia has a federal Privacy Act (1988).

In 2000 the Australian Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act was passed.

Canada

Canada has several governmental offices of privacy, including the national ombudsman, the Privacy Commissioner for Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec.

The Personal Information Protection and Electronics Documents Act, formerly called Bill C-6, is a comprehensive data protection law that came into effect January 1, 2001 for federally regulated entities, and 2004 for all businesses. [NY Times] [Computerworld]

The Canadian Marketing Association provides an outstanding example for the rest of the world. The CMA supported Bill C-6, which became the nation's major data privacy law. They also support the creation of a Do-Not-Call registry. Instead of using the euphemism ``Preference Service,'' they plainly name their service ``Do Not Contact,'' and they provide a form on their web site for consumers to use it online. Canadian web surfers can also enter complaints against CMA members. It prohibits its members from spamming (unlike the US DMA, which allows it and runs a preference service that almost nobody uses). We wish every country had a DMA as consumer-friendly as Canada's.

Hong Kong

The Privacy Commissioner's Office is a model on data protection to Asia and the rest of the world. [1999 Conference on Data Protection] Commercial site: http://www.privacy.com.hk

New Zealand

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of New Zealand ``includes advice for businesses to comply with privacy laws and opportunity to order privacy souvenirs.'' (PJ)

In 1993 New Zealand enacted a strong Privacy Law that applies to all organizations.

The New Zealand Direct Marketing Association offers a Name Removal Service for unwanted mail, phone calls and faxes. Consumers can give past addresses also.

We found it difficult to find the page about this service on their web site. They say to write to:

New Zealand Direct Marketing Association Name Removal Service Box 47681, Ponsonby Auckland (Phone: +64-9-489 9329 / 0800 DIRECT (0800 347 328). Fax: +64-9-488 0512 / 0800 100 929)

Here's a sample letter that you can save and edit to insert your details. After we have upgraded the non-USA version of JUNKBUSTERS DECLARE, it will do the insertion for you. We apologize for the delay.

United Kingdom

The UK DMA operates ``preference'' services similar to the US one, but with some differences.

In 1999 the regulations came into force legally requiring companies not to call numbers on the UK Telephone Preference Service.

The procedure to register for the Telephone Preference Service is to call 0845 070 0707. (All calls are charged at a local rate). Or visit http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/ to register online.

The UK DMA also offers a Mail Preference Service online at http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/ or you can write to the following Freepost address.

Mailing Preference Service, Freepost 22, London, W1E 7EZ

Here's a sample letter that you can save and edit to insert your details. If you use paper, a signature is required. Your name remains on file for five years, after which time you would need to register again.

Consumers can also use the service for previous residents at their address, including deceased persons.

Junk faxes to individuals are generally illegal in the UK. For exceptions such as companies, the UK DMA also describes a Fax Preference Service(FPS); the number to call to register is 0845 070 0702 at http://www.fpsonline.org.uk/ on the Web.

The UK DMA also participates in the US DMA's eMPS scheme, which anti-spammers and privacy advocates deplore.

The UK has a Data Protection Commissioner who helps individuals enforce their right to examine records held about them for a moderate fee. Companies handling personal data are require to register, and there is a search facility where you can examine the information registered by companies, including their declared uses of data about you.

Other countries

If you have any advice on dealing with junk in other countries, please tell us.

We have a separate page outlining translations of our pages and links in other languages.

Here is a list of Direct Marketing Associations in Europe.

Home · Next · Site Map · Legal · Privacy · Cookies · Banner Ads · Telemarketing · Mail · Spam · Opt Out