Albania moves to block unwanted promo messages

Jan 17, 2025 - Unwanted texts, calls, and emails from companies and political groups are flooding Albanian citizens, often through apps like WhatsApp, Viber, and Telegram, raising serious concerns about personal data misuse.

These businesses and political campaigns are contacting individuals without their consent, using information that was originally shared for other purposes.

To tackle the issue, the Ministry of Economy, Culture, and Innovation has proposed a new draft law to create a "Registry of Unsolicited Commercial Communications."

This registry will allow citizens to opt out of receiving unwanted promotional messages for free. Businesses will be required to consult the registry before reaching out to people, ensuring they don’t contact those who’ve opted out.

Companies must pay registration and access fees, with heavy penalties for non-compliance. The draft law is currently open for public consultation.