How to limit unwanted solicitation?

Unfortunately, entrepreneurs often have to deal with unwanted use of their contact details. Companies will send you advertisements. Or they call you or drop by with a business offer. Sales companies do not always follow the rules. They might get your contact details from the KVK Business Register, business directories, or your company's website, for example. There are also data brokers, companies that specialise in collecting, researching, and selling personal information about people.

Be aware of what you share

If your data is public, salespeople will find it and use it. Check how much personal information you share on your own social media. Sometimes your address details are publicly available there, also for organisations that want to send you advertising. Do not make it too easy for such companies. Be aware of what you share.

Remember that your details can often be found on websites you do not know about. To get an overview of this, you can set up Google Alerts, using your company name and address as a search term. Then you will automatically be notified when these are mentioned somewhere on the internet. This will help you discover misuse of your data. Also, those Google Alerts notify you when people write things about your company online, such as a review.

Complain about spam

If you receive spam (in Dutch) on your phone, in your mailbox, or via social media, you can make a complaint about the sender to the Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM). 

If you also want to avoid receiving phone calls from market researchers, you can request this via the MOA research filter (in Dutch). This is a register that states whether or not you are willing to take part in market research surveys.

Reduce Emails

If you want to reduce unwanted Emails, make sure your Email address is less easy to find. Use Google Alerts to find out where your Email address is on the internet. You can contact those websites and ask them to remove your data.

Hide your Email address

There are companies that use special programmes to search the Internet for @ signs. With these ‘spambots’ they collect Email addresses which they then abuse.

Is your Email address on your own company website? Then you can make it difficult for spambots by presenting your contact details in a slightly different way. For example, do not make the Email address a clickable link, but present it in such a way that only people can understand it. This can be done by using spaces and ‘at’ instead of @. You can also put the data in a picture. In these ways, spambots cannot find your Email address so easily. However, do be aware that some of your customers and visitors may also find this approach awkward.

Avoid mail or visits

KVK's Non Mailing Indicator (NMI) is a tool you can use to protect your contact details. If you turn on the NMI, companies are no longer allowed to use your Business Register details for mail advertising or door-to-door sales. Anyone who requests an extract of your details from KVK will see the NMI and must respect it.

If you do then get approached, you can tell the company that they must comply with the NMI. You can use a sample letter from the Dutch Data Protection Authority (in Dutch) to do this. 

The rules

If you have an eenmanszaak (as a self-employed person or freelancer), vof, or maatschap, companies or organisations are not allowed to contact you just like that. This is only allowed if you are (or have been) a customer. Then they may offer products and/or services similar to those you bought previously. These rules apply to letters, Emails and instant messages, calling, texting, aping, and contacting you via social media.

Are you not (or have not been) a customer? Then you must have given permission yourself or the company must have another legal reason (in Dutch) to use your data, such as your (email) address or phone number. In all cases, you may indicate that you no longer want them to contact you. The company must comply. These rules apply not only to commercial businesses but also to charitable organisations and political parties, for example.

So, your eenmanszaak, vof, or maatschap is protected against unwanted marketing. But this protection does not apply if you have a bv, nv, or other legal structure as this could hinder trade between such companies.