Ninety per cent of spam marketing calls targeting Bahrain come from abroad and beyond regulators’ reach, but the Shura Council is pressing ahead with a plan to tighten the rules.
While authorities are working with Google and GCC regulators to curb spam calls from overseas, enforcement remains a sticking point.
The Council will go over a proposal on Sunday to rein in the practice, with a report on its feasibility due for discussion.
People across Bahrain have long complained about being pestered by sales calls at all hours, their phones ringing with offers they didn’t ask for.
Services
Some say they’ve been badgered into signing up for services they don’t need, while others simply want the calls to stop.
Lawmakers backing the proposal say it’s about time businesses were stopped from making a nuisance of themselves, arguing that phone-based sales tactics belong in the past.
Shura’s Financial and Economic Affairs Committee, which has looked into the proposal, says it stacks up legally and fits within Bahrain’s laws on consumer rights.
Sales calls
It points out that Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have all set rules on sales calls, meaning Bahrain wouldn’t be breaking new ground by doing the same.
But not everyone is convinced. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has its doubts, arguing that the Consumer Protection Law may not be the best place for these rules.
It warns that its hands are tied when it comes to stopping unwanted calls, as enforcement would fall outside its remit.
Complaints
Officials also fear the law’s wording could be misused, with businesses hit by complaints for making one phone call to a potential customer.
The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications has also flagged problems.
Bahrain already has rules on when and how often businesses can make sales calls and send bulk messages, but enforcing them is another matter.
Legal framework
The ministry says Google and GCC regulators are in talks on ways to block cross-border spam calls, though without a legal framework, progress is limited.
It also stresses that public awareness is just as important as any law in tackling the issue.
The proposal, put forward by Shura members Lina Habib, Second Deputy Chair Dr Jehad Al Fadhel, Dalal Al Zayed, Hala Ramzi, and Hisham Al Qassab, would force businesses to stick to stricter rules, with the government setting out when and how they can approach customers.
