News - Prodial Ltd fined by ICO

A West Sussex based lead generation company, responsible for over 46 million automated nuisance calls, has been fined £350,000 by the Information Commission’s Office (ICO).

The ICO received over 1,000 complaints about automated calls relating to Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). Complainants complained about receiving multiple calls which often carried no opt-out or live operator options effectively rendering consumers unable to stop them.

Brighton-based Prodial Ltd was operating out of a residential property and also hiding its identity by withholding its telephone number when making calls, which made it harder for people to report them.

Companies can use internet phone lines to cheaply make enormous numbers of recorded marketing calls. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) makes it clear that companies can only make automated calls to people who have specifically consented to being contacted in this way. But the ICO investigation found Prodial had no such consent.

Christopher Graham, Information Commissioner said:

This is one of the worst cases of cold calling we have ever come across. The volume of calls made in just a few months was staggering.

This was a company that knew it was breaking the law. A company director admitted that once the ICO became involved, the company shut down. That stopped the calls, but we want to send a clear message to other firms that this type of law-breaking will not pay. That is why we have handed out our highest ever fine.

No matter what companies do to try to avoid the law, we will find a way to act.