Telemarketing in North Macedonia: Balancing Outreach with Evolving Data Privacy Regulations and Consumer Protection

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Telemarketing in North Macedonia, while a potential tool for business outreach, operates within a legal and ethical landscape that emphasizes consumer rights and data privacy. As of May 20, 2025, businesses considering telemarketing activities in North Macedonia must be mindful of the existing regulations, evolving data protection laws, and best practices to ensure compliance and maintain a positive brand image.

The Regulatory Landscape for Telemarketing in North Macedonia:

North Macedonia is in the process of aligning its legislation with European Union standards, particularly in the area of data protection. As of May 20, 2025, the key legal frameworks with implications for telemarketing include:

Law on Personal Data Protection ("Official Gazette of the Republic of North Macedonia" No. 42/20 and 164/23): This law is the primary legislation governing the processing of personal data in macedonia mobile phone number list North Macedonia and is closely aligned with the principles of the GDPR. It sets out requirements for the lawful, fair, and transparent processing of personal data, including mobile phone numbers used for telemarketing.
Law on Electronic Communications ("Official Gazette of the Republic of North Macedonia" No. 109/08, 116/12, 154/15, 83/18 and 1/20): This law regulates electronic communications and may contain provisions relevant to unsolicited commercial communications, although specific details regarding telemarketing might be less explicit compared to dedicated legislation in some EU member states. It's important to consult the latest amendments and any relevant regulations issued by the Agency for Electronic Communications (AEK).
Law on Consumer Protection ("Official Gazette of the Republic of North Macedonia" No. 25/07, 103/08, 145/10, 164/13, 187/13, 43/14, 145/15, 31/16, 64/18 and 168/18): This law aims to protect the rights and interests of consumers and could be relevant to telemarketing practices, particularly concerning misleading or aggressive sales tactics.
Potential Future Alignment with EU Directives: As North Macedonia progresses in its EU accession process, further alignment with EU directives like the ePrivacy Directive is likely, which could lead to more specific regulations on electronic marketing, including telemarketing. Businesses should stay informed about any new legislation or amendments.
Key Regulatory and Data Privacy Considerations for Telemarketing:

Law on Personal Data Protection: This law is paramount for telemarketing activities involving personal data. Key principles include:
Lawfulness, Fairness, and Transparency: Personal data must be processed lawfully, fairly, and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject. Individuals should be informed about how their mobile numbers are obtained and used for telemarketing.
Purpose Limitation: Personal data should only be collected for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes. Using a mobile number collected for one purpose for telemarketing without obtaining specific consent for that new purpose would likely be a violation.
Data Minimization: Only the personal data necessary for the intended purpose of telemarketing should be collected and retained.
Accuracy: Personal data must be accurate and kept up to date.
Storage Limitation: Personal data should not be kept for longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
Integrity and Confidentiality: Appropriate security measures must be in place to protect personal data against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.
Rights of Data Subjects: The law grants individuals rights such as the right to be informed, the right to access their data, the right to rectification, the right to erasure (in certain circumstances), the right to restriction of processing, the right to data portability, and the right to object. Telemarketers must be prepared to respect these rights.
Consent: Consent is a crucial legal basis for processing personal data for direct marketing purposes like telemarketing, especially for individuals who are not existing customers. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.
Law on Electronic Communications: Businesses should be aware of any provisions in this law or regulations issued by the AEK that might relate to unsolicited commercial communications, including rules about calling times, caller identification, and the use of automated dialing systems.
Law on Consumer Protection: Telemarketing practices should adhere to fair and honest dealing. Misleading claims, aggressive sales tactics, and failure to clearly identify the caller and the purpose of the call can be considered violations of consumer protection laws.
Potential for a "Do Not Call" Registry: While North Macedonia does not currently have a national "Do Not Call" registry publicly available, the evolving regulatory landscape and alignment with EU practices could lead to the establishment of such a mechanism in the future. Businesses should monitor any developments in this area.
Industry Best Practices: Even in the absence of highly specific telemarketing legislation, adhering to international best practices is advisable. This includes respecting "Do Not Call" requests (even if internal), maintaining internal "Do Not Call" lists, and ensuring that telemarketing calls are made at reasonable times.
Regarding Mobile Phone Number Lists:

Purchasing Lists Carries Significant Risks: Buying mobile phone number lists for telemarketing in North Macedonia is a practice that carries considerable risks due to the requirements of the Law on Personal Data Protection. It is highly unlikely that the individuals on such lists have provided the necessary informed consent for your specific organization to contact them for marketing purposes. Using purchased lists can lead to:
Violation of Data Protection Laws: Processing personal data without a lawful basis, such as consent, is a breach of the Law on Personal Data Protection and can result in significant penalties.
Negative Brand Perception: Contacting individuals who have not consented to receive marketing calls can lead to annoyance, complaints, and damage to your company's reputation.
Ineffectiveness: Individuals who did not willingly provide their numbers are less likely to be receptive to marketing messages.
Focus on Ethical and Consent-Based Data Collection: The most ethical and legally sound approach to building contact lists for telemarketing in North Macedonia is through transparent and consent-driven methods:
Opt-in Mechanisms: Implement clear and unambiguous opt-in forms on your website, social media, physical sign-up sheets, or during customer interactions, explicitly stating that the provided mobile number may be used for marketing communications and obtaining affirmative consent.
Customer Relationships: Leverage existing customer relationships to conduct telemarketing, but ensure that you have obtained appropriate consent for this purpose, ideally at the time of initial engagement or through subsequent clear opt-in opportunities.
Lead Generation with Explicit Consent: Run marketing campaigns specifically designed to generate leads where individuals willingly provide their contact information with the clear understanding that they may be contacted for telemarketing.
Importance of Consent Management: Maintaining records of how and when consent was obtained is crucial for demonstrating compliance with the Law on Personal Data Protection. You should also have processes in place for individuals to easily withdraw their consent and ensure that such requests are promptly honored.
Conclusion:

Telemarketing in North Macedonia in 2025 requires a strong focus on compliance with the Law on Personal Data Protection and adherence to consumer protection principles. Obtaining explicit and informed consent for telemarketing is paramount. Purchasing mobile phone number lists is a risky practice likely to violate data protection laws. Businesses should prioritize ethical and transparent methods of collecting mobile numbers, building trust with consumers and ensuring legal compliance in the evolving regulatory environment of North Macedonia as it aligns with EU standards. Staying informed about any new legislation or regulations related to electronic communications and data protection is crucial.