Law on receiving unsolicited Texts from Politicans

BRYAN Is Ainm Dom

Can anybody tell me what the law is on receiving unsolicited text messages from politicans regarding elections.

Tonight my wife received one from one of the Parties urging her to vote for them in the upcoming election.

My wife is was pretty pissed as she is private person and didn't appreciate the text. The party in question did have her number as she had a meeting with staff of the TD in question on behalf of her friend about a year ago, but she did not consent to her number being used in this way.

Brando_ie

I got an unsolicited text message from a local politician yesterday also and have absolutely no idea how they had my mobile number.

Its unlisted and I have had no contact with the candidate in question or indeed anyone with any political connection? I don't recall the process for registering but an 100% certain I would never have put my mobile number down as there are only a handful of folks who I have given the number to outside of family and friends.

I was tempted to chase the text up but as it's politicians we are dealing with I assume I would be given a line of BS, either way he didn't get my vote.

gctest50

Might be a bit of info here :

http://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Guide-to-dealing-with-Unsolicited-SMS-messages/406.htm

The_Captain

I thought this would be about Patrick Nulty on the sauce again

Stroke Politics

Got the same unwelcome text on Friday as well, urging me to vote for a candidate of a 32-county party, even though I vote in a different LEA!

I immediately texted the number back, explained that I did not want any unsolicited texts them, and that I would report them to the Data Protection Commissioner if I was texted again. They replied with an apology and said that I gave my number to a party worker when I made a submission to a TD in the area nearly a year ago, and said they would take the no. off their database. I pointed out again that this contact with them did not imply consent to send unsolicited texts to me, and then the respondent got a bit snotty, saying I should be careful who I give my number to!

By this stage I was fairly cross, and so I decided to ring the number the texts were coming from. Some Intern PoliticoBot answered the call, and again said that I gave them my number and then tried to shout me down when I calmly explained that I did not give any consent to be sent spam. Pretty obnoxious behaviour from a representative of a fairly well-regarded TD.

Left a very bad impression on me and cost this party a preference from me in any future election....

Godge

Stroke Politics wrote: »

Got the same unwelcome text on Friday as well, urging me to vote for a candidate of a 32-county party, even though I vote in a different LEA!

I immediately texted the number back, explained that I did not want any unsolicited texts them, and that I would report them to the Data Protection Commissioner if I was texted again. They replied with an apology and said that I gave my number to a party worker when I made a submission to a TD in the area nearly a year ago, and said they would take the no. off their database. I pointed out again that this contact with them did not imply consent to send unsolicited texts to me, and then the respondent got a bit snotty, saying I should be careful who I give my number to!

By this stage I was fairly cross, and so I decided to ring the number the texts were coming from. Some Intern PoliticoBot answered the call, and again said that I gave them my number and then tried to shout me down when I calmly explained that I did not give any consent to be sent spam. Pretty obnoxious behaviour from a representative of a fairly well-regarded TD.

Left a very bad impression on me and cost this party a preference from me in any future election....

Report them to the Data Protection Office - they will just do it to everyone else who doesn't know their rights.