Can I stop nuisance calls and spam texts?
Yes — you can sharply cut nuisance calls and texts and report breaches, though you can't block everything. The basis is the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), enforced by the ICO. Register free with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS); after 28 days, live marketing calls to you without consent are unlawful. Marketing texts and emails need your prior opt-in (unless a "soft opt-in" applies to an existing customer with an easy opt-out each time). Automated/recorded marketing calls always need specific consent. You can report breaches to the ICO, forward spam texts free to 7726, and report silent or abandoned calls to Ofcom. You can withdraw consent at any time. In short: yes, register with TPS and report the rest.
📋 The rules
- Register free with the TPS (effective after 28 days)
- Live marketing calls without consent then unlawful
- Marketing texts/emails need opt-in consent
- Automated marketing calls always need specific consent
- Report to the ICO; forward spam texts to 7726
🔓 Exceptions
- TPS doesn't stop market research, debt collection or service messages
- 'Soft opt-in' lets existing businesses you've bought from contact you
- Overseas and rogue operators are hard to enforce against
⚠️ Penalties & fines
These are your protections; the penalties fall on companies. The ICO can fine a firm up to £500,000 under PECR for unlawful marketing calls or texts — and it regularly does (recent fines in 2026 ran into the hundreds of thousands for millions of unlawful messages). Registering with the TPS is free, takes effect within 28 days, and doesn't expire. Beware a myth: "TPS blocks all unwanted calls" is false — it only stops live marketing calls; it doesn't stop scams, automated calls, market research or overseas callers. To cut them down: register with the TPS, never tick to receive marketing, forward spam texts to 7726, report persistent breaches to the ICO, and report silent calls to Ofcom.
📎 Official sources
- ICO — nuisance calls and messages →
- GOV.UK — stop nuisance calls and texts →
- Telephone Preference Service →
❓ Frequently asked
How do I stop nuisance marketing calls?
Register your number free with the Telephone Preference Service. After 28 days, it's unlawful for organisations to make live marketing calls to you without your consent. You can also report companies that still call you to the Information Commissioner's Office, which can fine them. The TPS doesn't expire, so you only need to register once.
Can companies text me marketing without consent?
Generally no. Under PECR, marketing texts and emails require your prior opt-in consent, unless a 'soft opt-in' applies — where you're an existing customer who bought something similar and was given an easy way to opt out each time. Unsolicited marketing texts without consent breach the rules and can be reported to the ICO.
Does the TPS stop all unwanted calls?
No. The Telephone Preference Service only stops live marketing calls from organisations that follow the rules. It doesn't block scam calls, recorded or automated marketing calls, market research, debt collection, genuine service messages, or calls from overseas, which are much harder to enforce against. So you may still receive some unwanted calls.
What should I do with spam texts?
Forward spam texts free to 7726, which spells 'SPAM' on a phone keypad. This reports them to your mobile network, helping it block the sender. You can also report concerns to the Information Commissioner's Office. Don't reply to or click links in the text, as that can confirm your number is active or be a scam.
What's the fine for nuisance calls?
Companies that break the marketing rules under PECR can be fined by the Information Commissioner's Office up to £500,000. The ICO regularly issues large fines to firms responsible for millions of unlawful calls or texts. The penalties fall on the offending companies, not on you — reporting helps the ICO take action.
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