How to prevent unsolicited marketing
If a specific organisation is targeting you with direct marketing information, you have the right to send that organisation a notice requiring them to stop or not to begin processing your personal data for the purposes of direct marketing at the end of such period of time as is reasonable in the circumstances.
The notice must be in writing and may be in the form of a letter. You should ensure that the notice is dated. There is no particular form of words that you need to use provided that you make clear the following:
- Your identity and the personal data to which you refer
- The nature of the processing to which you object
- When you require the processing of your personal data to cease (and this must be at the end of a period which is reasonable in all the circumstances)
Next steps
The notice must be sent to the data controller. If you are sending the letter by post, it is advisable to send it by recorded delivery. The notice may be transmitted by electronic means provided that the data controller is able to identify you and the personal information to which you refer and the notice is capable of being used for subsequent reference.
You should keep a copy of the notice you send and the reply you receive from the data controller and all other communications, recording the dates of all correspondence. This will be important as evidence in any future consideration by the Information Commissioner or the court. If you do not have the name of a particular individual within the data controller's organisation who you know can deal with your notice, you should address the notice to the 'company secretary'.