National Do Not Call List

The National Do Not Call List (DNCL) (French: Liste nationale de numéros de télécommunication exclus) is a list administered by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) that enables residents of Canada to decide whether or not to receive telemarketing calls. It was first announced by the Government of Canada on 13 December 2004.

The DNCL has been labelled a "disaster" and over a decade after the law's creation, many telemarketers are either unaware or do not follow the rules imposed by the DNCL.

The DNCL continues to receive heavy criticism, the latest being from Senator Percy Downe who referred to it as "totally useless", due to the costly but totally ineffective enforcement, the large number of exempt groups and the ability for anyone from anywhere in the world to purchase sets of phone numbers for relatively low fees, and then abuse the Do Not Call List as a calling list. Senator Downe cited multiple examples of constituents, whom he had personally added to the list, receiving a sudden increase in telemarketing calls three months later.

On 20 April 2009, the CRTC announced that telephone and fax numbers on the list would be listed on the DNCL for five years, extended from the three years at the list's inception. Numbers are now on the list indefinitely.

Overview

Legislation entitled Bill C-37, An Act to amend the Telecommunications Act, introduced in the House of Commons, was given first reading on 13 December 2004. It addressed telemarketing calls in Canada and would allow people to sign up to prevent certain telemarketers from contacting them. It received royal assent on 25 November 2005 and came into force on 30 June 2006.

The legislation gives the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) authority to establish a national do not call list, to establish procedures to administer the Act and to levy penalties for violations.