The data protection act provides for how personal data about an individual is held and processed. Just as commercial entities, which can benefit from customer data, have duties, the consumers have rights. These rights include not receiving direct marketing as one of the possible ways data can be used by profit-making entities.

So it is not semantic distortion, but yes, it is shorthand of sorts to the extent that data protection rules provide a coherent set of principles that govern consumer data. You can read about the consumer’s rights here: http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/data_protection/your_rights.aspx

And yes, I have heard about the do-not-call registry. A journalist friend of mine blogs about it and I have experienced just how ‘effective’ (not, to borrow from Borat) it is in practice. It may be much less complex, but I do not think anybody gives a monkey’s about it, since enforcement of the law and the enforcement of punitive measures for breaking the law are both weak.

Thanks.

In India, telcos provide a “Do-not-call” registry. Much less complex.

I meant data protection. In the UK, the term governs several aspects including the consumer’s direct marketing preferences. A marketer must have explicit permission (not just opt-out) before subjecting a consumer to direct marketing messages. Purists might argue advertising is not direct marketing; but in the ‘captive audience’ context of a cab or a bus, it approximates to direct marketing and as such individuals can invoke their rights under data protection and at least in London and Edinburgh cabs (Cabtivate, the name of the narrowcasting firm says it all!), can ask for the pictures to be switched off.

Privacy would come into the picture if the driver was surreptitiously or otherwise collecting data about your journey and passing it to the marketer. I think that while not impossible is a step too far in sophistication in narrowcasting.

Although Siddath has a point re entertainment, I think the risks could be under-estimated. After all urban legend has it that the ‘Hello Boys’ hoardings contributed significantly to traffic jams and crashed when they were first unveiled…

Did you mean “Privacy” in place of “Data” in Data Protection Laws you referred ?

Or am I missing something ?

Given the state of non-existence of permission marketing in India, it should be interesting to watch these ads.