{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=May 2018}} {{About|Australia's Do Not Call Register|similar lists in other countries|Do not call list}} The Australian national '''Do Not Call Register''' scheme was set up in Australia to regulate the activities of telemarketers who make unsolicited telephone calls to private individuals or who send unsolicited faxes. The scheme is free and applies to home, mobile or fax numbers. A number of categories of organisations are exempt from the Register prohibitions, including government bodies, registered political parties, MPs, political candidates, charities and educational organisations. As of April 2013, the Register had 8.5 million numbers listed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.donotcall.gov.au/news.cfm |title=Do Not Call registrations: now eight years |website=Do Not Call Register |date=16 April 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805201608/https://www.donotcall.gov.au/news.cfm |archivedate=5 August 2013}}</ref>

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is responsible for establishing and overseeing the Register and enforces compliance with the DNCR Act and related industry standards. In September 2014, Salmat was awarded the contract to operate the Register, commencing in mid-2015.<ref name=Salmatnamed/>

Members of the public can make complaints about telemarketing calls and marketing faxes to ACMA, which may also conduct formal investigations and take enforcement action.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 May 2013 |title=DNCR: approach to telemarketing compliance |url=https://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Do-not-call-register/Telemarketing-standard/do-not-call-register-acma-approach-to-telemarketing-compliance |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130713123118/https://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Do-not-call-register/Telemarketing-standard/do-not-call-register-acma-approach-to-telemarketing-compliance |archive-date=13 July 2013 |website=Australian Communications and Media Authority}}</ref>

The Do Not Call Register scheme gives Australians the opportunity to 'opt-out' of receiving most telemarketing calls and marketing faxes. It is against the law for telemarketers to make unsolicited calls or to send marketing faxes to a number on the register without consent. The best way a telemarketer or fax marketer can ensure they comply with the DNCR Act is to [https://web.archive.org/web/20130805121734/https://www.donotcall.gov.au/dncrtelem/index.cfm check their list] against the register at least every 30 days, prior to making marketing calls or faxes.

==History== The Australian Parliament passed the ''Do Not Call Register Act 2006'' (DNCR Act)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2013C00318 |title=Do Not Call Register Act 2006 |website=Federal Register of Legislation |date=12 April 2013 |accessdate=10 August 2017}}</ref> on 30 June 2006 to established the Do Not Call Register.<ref>[http://www.comlaw.gov.au/comlaw%5Cmanagement.nsf/lookupindexpagesbyid/IP200615352?OpenDocument Commonwealth of Australia Law – Do Not Call Register Act 2006]</ref> The Do Not Call Register<ref>[http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD//pc=PC_100642 ACMA – Do Not Call Register Information Page] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925011550/http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/ |date=25 September 2007 }}</ref> and the Industry Standard<ref>[http://www.comlaw.gov.au/comlaw%5Cmanagement.nsf/lookupindexpagesbyid/IP200730401?OpenDocument Telecommunications (Do Not Call Register) (Telemarketing and Research Calls) Industry Standard 2007]</ref> commenced on 1 May 2007. On the first day, the website was inundated with traffic and apparently "crashed" under the load.{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}}

In September 2014, Salmat, an Australian multichannel marketing company, was awarded the contract to operate the Do Not Call Register on behalf of the Australian Communications and Media Authority.<ref name=Salmatnamed>{{cite web | url=http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Do-not-call-register/How-to-comply-with-the-Do-Not-Call-Register/salmat-digital-awarded-do-not-call-register-contract | title=Salmat Digital awarded Do Not Call Register contract | publisher=ACMA | date=22 September 2014 | accessdate=15 October 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019045726/http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Do-not-call-register/How-to-comply-with-the-Do-Not-Call-Register/salmat-digital-awarded-do-not-call-register-contract | archive-date=19 October 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Function== The [http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Do-not-call-register/Telemarketing-standard/dncr-telemarketing-and-research-calls-industry-standard-2007 Telemarketing and Research Calls Industry Standard 2007] sets out rules about when and how telemarketing calls can be made and applies regardless of whether numbers called are on the Do Not Call Register or not. Some [http://www.acma.gov.au/Citizen/Stay-protected/My-privacy-world/Reduce-unwanted-calls/do-not-call-register-information-for-the-public#exemptions exemptions] apply. The [http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Do-not-call-register/Fax-marketing-standard Fax Marketing Industry Standard 2011] sets out rules about when and how marketing faxes can be sent.

Individuals can place home, fax or mobile numbers on the Register, provided that the number is used primarily for domestic purposes. After it has been added, telemarketers have 30 days to cease calling it, and the number remains on the register permanently.<ref name="permanent">[http://acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Do-not-call-register/How-to-comply-with-the-Do-Not-Call-Register/numbers-on-do-not-call-register-now-permanent Numbers on Do Not Call Register now permanent], Media release 27 April 2015.</ref> Certain organisations, however, are exempt from this, specifically charities, religious organisations, educational institutions, government bodies, registered political parties/candidates, or any organisation for which the individual has given consent (explicit or inferred) for their number to be called,<ref name="exemptions">[https://www.donotcall.gov.au/faqs.cfm Do Not Call Register — Overview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129074542/https://www.donotcall.gov.au/faqs.cfm |date=29 November 2014 }}, 18. What exemptions apply under the Do Not Call Register legislation?</ref> which can be withdrawn at any time.<ref name="withdrawal">[https://www.donotcall.gov.au/faqs.cfm Do Not Call Register — Overview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129074542/https://www.donotcall.gov.au/faqs.cfm |date=29 November 2014 }}, 7. What if I change my mind? Can I take my number off the Do Not Call Register?</ref> Market research is not considered to be telemarketing and is also exempt, although these calls are also subject to the industry standard.<ref name="research">[https://www.donotcall.gov.au/faqs.cfm Do Not Call Register — Overview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129074542/https://www.donotcall.gov.au/faqs.cfm |date=29 November 2014 }}, 19. Can market and social researchers call or fax numbers on the Do Not Call Register?</ref>

It is an offence for a non-exempt organisation to call a number on the Do Not Call Register; organisations that do so may be fined.<ref>[http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Do-not-call-register/How-to-comply-with-the-Do-Not-Call-Register/do-not-call-register-enforcement-outcomes DNCR: enforcement outcomes]</ref> Individuals who receive telemarketing calls when their number is on the register can submit a complaint to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.<ref name="complaint">[https://www.donotcall.gov.au/enquiries.cfm Complaints and Enquiries] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417231615/https://www.donotcall.gov.au/enquiries.cfm |date=17 April 2015 }}</ref>

Even for organisations that are exempt or for whom consent has been provided, the industry standard developed in conjunction with the register places limits on the times at which calls can be made, requires that calls be terminated upon request, and requires that telemarketers provide certain information to the called party.<ref name="standard">[http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Do-not-call-register/Telemarketing-standard/review-of-the-telemarketing-and-research-calls-industry-standard Telemarketing and Research Calls Industry Standard]</ref> Telemarketers must provide contact information, enable Caller ID, and reveal upon request how they obtained the recipient's telephone number.<ref name="standard"/>

==Reception== The register has attracted criticism for not attempting to curb unsolicited calls from charities and political parties and for not allowing the inclusion of small business numbers on the register.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.tai.org.au/sites/defualt/files/dp104_7.pdf|title = Go Away, Please: The social and economic impact of intrusive marketing|last =|first =|date =|website = The Australia Institute|publisher =|access-date=27 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Hey Telemarketers, If You Hadn't Already Noticed, Australia Hates Your Guts|url=http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2013/10/hey-telemarketers-if-you-hadnt-already-noticed-australia-hates-your-guts/|website=lifehacker|accessdate=27 May 2016}}</ref>

==See also== *New Zealand Name Removal Service *National Do Not Call Registry (United States) *Telephone Preference Service (United Kingdom) *National Do Not Call List (Canada)

== References == <references/>

== External links == * [https://www.donotcall.gov.au/ Do Not Call Register]

Category:2006 establishments in Australia Category:Telecommunications in Australia Category:Telemarketing Category:Telephone crimes Category:Privacy in Australia Category:Communications authorities Category:Communications in Australia Category:Consumer organisations in Australia