HAKOM: All non-registered numbers which are used for sending promotional messages will be blocked as soon as possible!
PRESS RELEASE
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For additional information please contact:
Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM)
Roberta Frangeša Mihanovića 9
10110 Zagreb, Croatia
Tel. + 385 (0) 1 700 70 07
Fax + 385 (0)1 700 70 70
Media inquiries can be submitted online using HAKOM’s official website: https://www.hakom.hr/
Registration required.
Promotional SMS (and MMS) messages must be sent exclusively from registered numbers which are not concealing the identity of the sender and the message must clearly inform the user how to stop any further communication without any fees or cost for the user. All unregistered numbers will be blocked as soon as possible, and in case of illegal numbers, the owners may expect fines and other problems for breaking the pre-election silence.
ZAGREB, 9 September 2016 – The Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) is once again warning political parties and all participants in the upcoming election that the sending of promotional SMS (and MMS) messages to users of electronic communications and the sending of e-mails is permitted under strictly prescribed conditions laid down in the Electronic Communications Act.
The sending of promotional SMS (and MMS) messages must be made exclusively from registered numbers which are not concealing the identity of senders and the message must clearly inform the user how to stop any further communication without any fees or cost for the user. If SMS (and MMS) messages are sent by means of automated calling and communication systems, the law is even stricter and requires the users to obtain a user’s consent before sending any messages.
Until now the situation with the sending of unsolicited SMS messages was much better than before the previous election, that is, until this moment the number of unsolicited messages was significantly lower than in the past. The biggest problem were other promotional messages sent from non-registered pre-paid numbers and HAKOM’s actions against such messages have yielded goods results. The number of such messages has been significantly reduced in cooperation with citizens, who report unsolicited messages, and operators who block the numbers from which such messages are sent. We would like to believe that this was also the result of the political culture between parties because it seems that they realized that there is also a legal way to communicate with the citizens.
Nevertheless, since the pre-election silence starts tomorrow and in our experience the number of unsolicited messages tends to escalate before the elections, we would like to ask the citizens and the electorate to report any promotional message received from an unknown number to their operator or to nezeljeni.sms@hakom.hr together with all the necessary information for making the report, which are available at http://www.hakom.hr/. Special teams will be on call Saturday and Sunday to check the reported numbers within the shortest possible time and block all numbers showing strong indications of abuse. Furthermore, in cases in which HAKOM manages to identify owners of numbers used for unsolicited promotion, misdemeanour proceedings will be initiated against those users.
Finally, all examples of promotional messages and numbers, including data on users of those numbers, if available, will be sent to the State Electoral Commission after processing which will then initiate further proceedings against the breaking of the pre-election silence and election day silence.
Follow HAKOM on Twitter @HAKOMsluzbeni The sending of promotional SMS (and MMS) messages must be made exclusively from registered numbers which are not concealing the identity of senders and the message must clearly inform the user how to stop any further communication without any fees or cost for the user. If SMS (and MMS) messages are sent by means of automated calling and communication systems, the law is even stricter and requires the users to obtain a user’s consent before sending any messages.
Until now the situation with the sending of unsolicited SMS messages was much better than before the previous election, that is, until this moment the number of unsolicited messages was significantly lower than in the past. The biggest problem were other promotional messages sent from non-registered pre-paid numbers and HAKOM’s actions against such messages have yielded goods results. The number of such messages has been significantly reduced in cooperation with citizens, who report unsolicited messages, and operators who block the numbers from which such messages are sent. We would like to believe that this was also the result of the political culture between parties because it seems that they realized that there is also a legal way to communicate with the citizens.
Nevertheless, since the pre-election silence starts tomorrow and in our experience the number of unsolicited messages tends to escalate before the elections, we would like to ask the citizens and the electorate to report any promotional message received from an unknown number to their operator or to nezeljeni.sms@hakom.hr together with all the necessary information for making the report, which are available at http://www.hakom.hr/. Special teams will be on call Saturday and Sunday to check the reported numbers within the shortest possible time and block all numbers showing strong indications of abuse. Furthermore, in cases in which HAKOM manages to identify owners of numbers used for unsolicited promotion, misdemeanour proceedings will be initiated against those users.
Finally, all examples of promotional messages and numbers, including data on users of those numbers, if available, will be sent to the State Electoral Commission after processing which will then initiate further proceedings against the breaking of the pre-election silence and election day silence.
# # #
For additional information please contact:
Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM)
Roberta Frangeša Mihanovića 9
10110 Zagreb, Croatia
Tel. + 385 (0) 1 700 70 07
Fax + 385 (0)1 700 70 70
Media inquiries can be submitted online using HAKOM’s official website: https://www.hakom.hr/
Registration required.
ABOUT HAKOM: HAKOM (www.hakom.hr) - Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries – ensures preconditions for a fair market competition, stable growth and environment for innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market. HAKOM protects users’ interests and the possibility of choice among various communications and postal services at affordable prices, defines sustainable competitive conditions for operators and service providers under fair conditions for return on investment, and provides support to economic growth, public services and the quality of life in the Republic of Croatia by using modern technologies. HAKOM’ strategic goals are: to promote regulation of the electronic communications and postal services market, to support growth of investments and innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market, to provide efficient use of limited resources, to accelerate the growth of broadband products and services, to provide affordable offers of communications and postal services, to provide protection and informing of users, to build an efficient and comprehensive information system, to define and implement efficient processes, and to acquire multi-disciplinary competencies in market regulation.