New SingTel portal to let customers opt out of receiving marketing info

SingTel has spent more than $2 million to comply with the Personal Data Protection Act, which will be enforced from July 2. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
SingTel has spent more than $2 million to comply with the Personal Data Protection Act, which will be enforced from July 2. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

SINGAPORE - SingTel has spent more than $2 million to comply with the Personal Data Protection Act, which will be enforced from July 2. This includes a new portal SingTel will launch by end July to allow consumers to manage the marketing information they want to receive from SingTel.

For instance, consumers may opt out of receiving event invitations, vouchers and bill inserts. They may also opt out of being contacted by third-parties for surveys or marketing.

"Depending on how the market reacts, we may even allow a higher level of granularity such as allow customers to specify the time of the day they wish to be contacted," said Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, chief executive officer of SingTel's Consumer Singapore Group on Thursday.

This new portal will replace an existing webpage on SingTel's website that allows customers to opt out of marketing messages in general. Customers can also call SingTel's hotline or email the telco now to indicate their preferences.

The investment to comply with the new Act excludes the monthly operational cost for checking numbers against the Do Not Call Registry. This ongoing cost is estimated to be about $500,000 a year as SingTel pays the Personal Data Protection Commission, which administers the DNC registry, a fee to check numbers listed on the registry.

SingTel said it calls about 150,000 to 200,000 numbers a month to offer to customers promotions and new services. These numbers are checked against the registry every month.

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