Song Pek Kei wants to criminalize phone marketing tactic

Lawmaker Song Pek Kei wants the local government to criminalize certain cold calling marketing tactics, according to a report by public broadcaster TDM.

Recently, the Office for Personal Data Protection (GPDP) fined, for the first time, a cosmetic company which disturbed local residents with random phone call marketing tactics. The fine was MOP110,000.

As Song understands, Macau’s current laws and regulations only recommend administrative penalties against phone call marketing tactics, which she says is not enough. Song thinks that, in order to enhance the deterrent effect, the local government should amend the city’s laws to impose a criminal punishment against random phone call tactics.

In addition, Song proposed that the government should enhance promotional campaigns on relevant laws to help residents in assisting governmental departments combating such phone call tactics.

The deputy director of the Hair & Beauty Professionals Association of Macao, Io Pou Chu, agreed that the government should impose harsher penalties. In addition, she proposed that the local government should introduce a warning system and a license cancellation system. JZ