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<p>DCMS regularly engages with industry, regulators and other government departments
on the issue of nuisance communications, including unsolicited marketing communications.</p><p>Services
which charge consumers for receiving text messages (premium SMS) are regulated by
the Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA). In 2019, the PSA took enforcement action
against companies for misleading and charging consumers for services without their
consent, and introduced new rules to require a two-stage approval process before taking
out a new subscription service. The PSA also extended these requirements to one-off
purchases in their <a href="https://psauthority.org.uk/-/media/Files/PSA/00NEW-website/For-business/Code-guidance-and-compliance/Code-of-Practice/PSA_Code_of_Practice_15th_18-05-2022.ashx"
target="_blank">2021 Code of Practice.</a></p><p>Under the Privacy and Electronic
Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), organisations must not send unauthorised marketing
text messages to individuals without their prior consent, and consumers must be able
to opt-out of future messaging, free of charge except for the cost of the initial
transmission of refusal.</p><p>If consumers are concerned about receiving unauthorised
marketing texts, they can report these to the <a href="https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/nuisance-calls-and-messages/"
target="_blank">Information Commissioner’s Office</a>. In relation to SMS charging,
we would encourage people to contact the <a href="https://psauthority.org.uk/For-Consumers/Report-an-Issue"
target="_blank">PSA </a>to seek advice.</p>
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