Baudin Supports Ban on Telemarketing: 'It Should Clearly Be Removed'

Tobias Baudin, the Social Democrats' party secretary, is cautiously optimistic about the Swedish Consumer Agency's demand to ban telemarketing.

– No one should be deceived or subjected to criminal activities. It should clearly be removed, he says.

The Consumer Agency wants telemarketing to be banned or for an opt-in system to be established, meaning consumers must actively agree to be called. This was made clear on Wednesday after the agency studied the industry at the government's request.

– I'm not closing any doors and will now review the report's proposals, says Civil Minister Erik Slottner (KD).

Telemarketers using aggressive and misleading methods, often targeting elderly and confused individuals, sparked a major debate last year following an investigation by Dagens Nyheter into the Social Democrats' lottery operations.

The revelation had significant consequences for the Social Democrats, and the party's lottery operations were sold this summer to the sobriety association IOGT-NTO.

Baudin on the Ban on Telemarketing

Party Secretary Tobias Baudin is cautiously positive about the Consumer Agency's demand to ban telemarketing.

– It's clear that telemarketing should be conducted properly. Follow regulations, guidelines, routines. And no one should be deceived regardless of what a telemarketer is engaged in.

So, do you welcome a ban?

– We'll see. If a proposal is put on the parliament's table, our parliamentary group will handle it. But it's obviously good to address telemarketing methods. We've seen countless examples. No one should be deceived or even – as sometimes happens – subjected to criminal activities. It should clearly be removed, says Tobias Baudin.