CMOs told to take consumer consent

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed cellular mobile operators (CMOs) to send mandatory confirmation messages to their consumers to gain explicit consent for opting in or activation of value added services. Cellular mobile operators have been further directed to submit a compliance report within three weeks from the issuance of the order. According to a press release, PTA received countless complaints highlighting that value added services, including third-party content/ games, were sometimes activated by the mobile operators without prior consent of consumers. PTA has taken serious notice of such complaints as activation of any value added service without explicit consent of consumers is violation of Clause 9 (3) (vii) of the Telecom Consumers Protection Regulations, 2009. “This step is expected to provide great relief to mobile consumers. PTA is committed to protecting the interests of users of telecommunication services in Pakistan,” PTA said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2021.

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