Cold Calling Laws in Singapore

Which rules cover cold calling in Singapore?

Part 9 of the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA), known as the Do Not Call provisions, covers marketing calls, texts and faxes to Singapore numbers. The PDPC runs the DNC Registry, which has three registers: No Voice Call, No Text Message and No Fax.

Is B2B cold calling legal in Singapore?

Yes. The PDPA's Eighth Schedule excludes messages sent to an organisation, for that organisation's purposes, from the DNC rules. The PDPC's own example: calling a company's HR manager on her business number to sell a product the company would use isn't covered.

The exclusion ends if the call turns personal. In the same example, asking the HR manager whether she'd like to buy something for her own use brings the call under the DNC rules.

When do you need to check the DNC Registry?

Before a marketing call to a Singapore number used in a personal capacity, you need valid confirmation that the number isn't on the No Voice Call register. That means checking with the PDPC within 21 days before the call, or using a checker whose data is no more than 21 days old.

You don't need to check if the person has given clear and unambiguous consent to your marketing, in written or other accessible form.

What calls covered by the DNC rules must do

• Identify who is sending the message and how the person can contact them (section 44).
• Never conceal or withhold your caller ID (section 45).
• Never call numbers generated by dictionary attacks or address-harvesting software.

Business contact details and the PDPA

Business contact details, such as a name, job title, business phone number and business email given for business purposes, are generally outside the PDPA's data protection rules. Personal details are not, so keep business and personal contacts separate on your list.

Fines for breaking the DNC rules

Since 1 October 2022, the PDPC can impose financial penalties of up to S$200,000 on an individual and S$1 million on an organisation for breaking the DNC provisions.

Before you call Singapore businesses: a checklist

• Call business numbers about the organisation's own needs.
• Check any personal or uncertain numbers against the DNC Registry within 21 days before calling.
• Keep the conversation about the business. A personal pitch brings the DNC rules back in.
• Say who you are and how to reach you, and show your caller ID.
• Record consent in writing when someone agrees to marketing.

Can you call a lead in Singapore who asked you to?

Allowed with clear consent, no DNC check needed · No time limit we've found

• You don't need to check the DNC Registry before calling someone who has given clear and unambiguous consent to your marketing, in written or other accessible form.
• Calls to an organisation about its own business are outside the DNC rules anyway.

Source: PDPC: Advisory Guidelines on the Do Not Call Provisions (PDF) · Do not call exemptions by country