Community attitudes to unsolicited communications

• Newspoll
• Australian Communications and Media Authority

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Image: Stéfan / Flickr

20 October 2009This report explores community attitudes to unsolicited telemarketing calls and electronic communications, and the awareness and effectiveness of the regimes that regulate these communications.

The main findings are:

• Around one in three Australian adults (32 per cent) have registered a number on the Do Not Call Register, although some did not personally register the number. While all of these people have their home number on the Register, only six per cent of all adults have registered their mobile phone numbers. The Register appears to have been very effective, particularly for those who have their home phone number registered.  Awareness is not the barrier to registration. In fact, awareness of the Register is high, as is the level of interest in registering amongst those not currently on the Register. The key barriers are that people have either not got around to it, or they do not experience problems with telemarketing calls. Awareness and knowledge of aspects of the Do Not Call Register Act and the registration process itself are generally low. 

• Awareness and understanding of spam is generally high, as is use of spam filters. Despite these filters, on average, email users are receiving 23 spam emails a week, with most users deleting them without opening them. SMS or MMS spam is less prevalent, with personal mobile phone users receiving an average of two spam messages per month. Awareness of Australia’s anti spam laws is low.