Combatting Junk Mail, Marketting Calls and Text Message Spam in the UK | November 8, 2003

I used to work as a freelance web designer and in order to get more business I registered with a number of services like the Yellow pages. However rather than bring any business in, all that happened was my address, land line and mobile number got added to every junk mail list and phone marketing list in the country. Since then I've received all kinds of get rich quick junk mail and phone calls from people trying to flog me cheaper electricity.

However a while ago a couple of services were launched in the UK to help stem the flow of these marketing nuisances. The Telephone Preference Service and the Mailing Preference Service allow you to register your phone and address details, and by law anybody in the UK using list of contact info has to make sure their lists are cleaned of anybody on these centralised "opt-out" lists.

So I've just signed up and hope to see a dramatic reduction in the junk mail and marketing phone calls I receive. Shame something similar wouldn't work with email spam.