“Our privacy and freedom of choice should matter too!” a frustrated consumer recently wrote to me. “Why are these companies allowed to flood our phones with adverts we never asked for?”
That question hits right at the heart of a growing problem in Namibia — unsolicited marketing messages that arrive without our consent and without any easy way to say stop.
Let’s be clear: under the Electronic Transactions Act of 2019, companies are already supposed to include an opt-out in every promotional SMS or email. They must also disclose who they are and where they got your details. In other words, consent matters — at least on paper.
The trouble is that enforcement is weak. Many consumers don’t even know these rights exist, and the law focuses mainly on electronic messages like SMS and emails, not voice calls. So when that “exclusive offer” call interrupts your lunch, it’s not entirely clear if anyone has broken the law.
The long-awaited Data Protection Bill — which government says will soon go before Parliament — promises stronger safeguards. It could finally spell out our right to say no to unwanted marketing, hold companies accountable, and ensure Namibians have true control over their personal information.
Until then, we remain caught in a grey zone where companies can market first and ask for forgiveness later. It shouldn’t be this way. Consumers deserve the simple right to choose whether to receive marketing messages — not to be bombarded without consent.
Privacy isn’t a luxury. It’s a right. And it’s time our laws — and regulators — treated it that way.
