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A woman with a smartphone (symbolic image): »aggressive« advertising
Photo: via www.imago-images.de / imago images/MiS
Advertising on calls: The Federal Network Agency received almost 80,000 complaints about unauthorized telephone advertising last year, according to the authority in Bonn.
That was 26 percent more than in 2020. According to this, advertising calls for energy, insurance and financial products are particularly common, but magazine subscriptions and sweepstakes are also advertised "aggressively".
In many cases, the phone number is also suppressed or a new wrong number is set up every day, the network agency explained.
This is "another serious violation of the law to the detriment of consumers and to the detriment of lawfully acting competitors," said Jochen Homann, President of the Authority.
It would be more difficult for the people called to recognize advertising calls and the authorities' investigations would be made more difficult.
The number suppression is "unacceptable," said Homann.
As of December 1, 2021, the legislature therefore increased the fine from EUR 10,000 to EUR 300,000.
"We will pursue the perpetrators with all means at our disposal."
Last year, the authority also imposed fines totaling 1.4 million euros for illegal telephone advertising.
This was also an increase compared to previous years.
Anyone who receives advertising calls as a consumer without having given their consent or although an advertising revocation has been issued can contact the Federal Network Agency.
In order to be able to convict the perpetrators, as precise and detailed information as possible is helpful, as the authority emphasized.
mic/AFP