Getting advertising texts you never asked for?
Sound familiar?
Unknown sender
You can tell them to stop.
The law says a company needs your permission to send you advertising. This free tool writes the request for you.
- Choose the company
- We write the request
- You tell them to stop
Your data protection rightsYou can make these texts stop, and ask where they got your number. Open this to read how.
Jamaica’s Data Protection Act, 2020 gives everyone these rights. They apply to any company that uses your personal details, including your phone number.
The right to say no to advertising
A company needs your permission to send you advertising. You can refuse, or take back permission you gave before, at any time.
The right to know where they got your details
You can ask a company what information it has about you and how it got it. It must answer within 30 days of getting your request, and it’s free when it answers by email. The law lets it take longer if it tells you in writing first.
How to use your rights
You use these rights by sending the company a written request. This tool writes the request for you in four steps, and you send it by email:
- Choose the company that is texting you.
- Choose what you want: to make the texts stop, to find out where they got your number, or both.
- Add your name, number and email address. They go into your request so the company can find you and reply.
- Send the request from your own email account.
Step 1 of 4: the company
Questions people ask
What does the request to stop do?
A company needs your permission to send you advertising. The request tells them you don’t give it, and takes back any permission you may have given before.
What happens if I ask how they got my number?
The request also asks for a copy of the information the company has about you, and where it got it. It’s free when they reply by email, and they have 30 days from getting your request to answer, or longer if they tell you in writing first.
Is this legal advice?
No. The tool writes standard requests based on the Data Protection Act, 2020 and the Data Protection Regulations, 2024. For advice on your situation, speak to a lawyer.
How soon must they stop?
The law doesn’t give a number of days. Once you have told them to stop, they should not keep sending you advertising. If the messages keep coming, you can complain to the Information Commissioner for free.
Does it cost anything?
No. Asking where they got your information is free when they send the answer by email. Complaining to the Information Commissioner is also free.
What if they ask me to visit a branch?
Reply that the law lets you make requests by email. If you asked to see your information, they may ask for proof of ID.
What if they don’t reply?
You can complain to the Information Commissioner for free. Email compliance@oic.gov.jm, say what happened, and attach your request and any reply.
Who is the Information Commissioner?
The Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) is the government office that makes sure organisations in Jamaica follow the Data Protection Act. If a company ignores your request, you can complain to the OIC for free.
Who is the Data Protection Officer?
The person at the company who is responsible for how it handles people’s information. Your request goes to that person and to the company’s privacy office.