PTA instructs telcos to penalise elements if user data is given to advertisers without permission

• Head of PM’s Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi says PTA will implement an “opt-in and opt-out system” for mobile phone users.
• Says with link to opt-out at end of each marketing message, customer will be able to put themselves on SMS marketing block list.
• For the first time in Pakistan, the government is taking serious steps to protect consumer data says PM’s aide.

Head of Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi announced on Friday that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has instructed telecommunications companies to penalise elements that provide mobile phone user data to advertising companies without permission.

Taking to Twitter, Sufi said that the PTA will implement an “opt-in and opt-out system” for mobile phone users.

“With a link to opt-out at the end of each marketing message, a customer will be able to put themselves on the SMS marketing block list of that specific marketer,” said Sufi.

He added that telcos have been instructed to impose penalities for sharing citizen data without consent, and said that that promotional marketing being done through alpha-numeric IDs and their regularisation against shortcodes will be completed by June.

“Unsubscribe option is being made mandatory for all marketing-related messages,” said Sufi, adding that the government will take live feedback from customers in a consumer conference that will be held in July 2022.

“For the first time in Pakistan, the government is taking serious steps to protect consumer data,” said the PM’s aide.