The Office of the Telecommunications Authority issued the first enforcement notice under the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance today against a commercial fax sender who has kept sending messages to numbers on the do-not-call register.

The notice orders the sender to comply with the ordinance. The office will monitor the case to ensure the sender undertakes rectification measures in accordance with the notice. It will consider prosecution if the sender fails to do so. Contravening an enforcement notice warrants a $100,000 fine.

Up to January 20, the office had received 9,217 reports of contravention. Of them 6,514 or 71% have been handled with 67 warning letters issued and concerned senders rectifying the situation. Hence, no enforcement notice was warranted until today.

The office will monitor senders to whom warning letters have been issued and will consider further action if they breach the law again.

Three do-not-call registers have been established for fax messages, text messages and pre-recorded telephone messages. Up to January 20, 1.48 million telephone and fax numbers had been registered. Click here for details.