Ofcom changes procedures for fairness & privacy complaints

Ofcom, the communications industry regulator recently published new guidelines setting out the way it will handle fairness and privacy complaints. The key changes are:

• Access to rushes made easier.

• The time limits for making a complaint to Ofcom have been changed.

• The introduction of a two-stage decision-making process for more complex cases.

• Ofcom will now drop complaints that are resolved informally.

Following a consultation at the end of last year, Ofcom recently published new guidelines setting out the way it will handle fairness and privacy complaints from 1 June 2006. Ofcom’s procedures include:

• how to make a complaint to Ofcom;