The Direct Marketing Association is threatening to seek a judicial
review of an Electoral Commission decision that could ban the DM
industry's use of data from the electoral roll.
The DMA is alarmed that an interim ruling by the Commission could mean
that direct marketers will be unable to use the roll for list-cleaning
purposes. The industry relies on this information to ensure that data
used in DM campaigns is accurate. A ban could mean the industry wastes
millions of pounds on poorly targeted direct communications with
customers.
The DMA is now taking legal advice about what action it can take if the
Electoral Commission decides to uphold its interim advice to local
authorities that they should withhold supply of the Electoral Roll to
any commercial concern. A final decision is expected shortly.
The row was triggered by a High Court ruling last month. The court
backed a retired accountant who was unhappy at the refusal of his local
electoral registration officer to let him remove his name from the
register before it was sold for marketing purposes.
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