Campaign manager and general election candidate for the People’s Partnership Rodney Charles says citizens’ privacy rights are not being infringed by the party’s campaign machinery approach.
He was responding to questions regarding the use of citizens’ personal cellphone numbers and email addresses to canvass support for the Partnership.
For the past few weeks citizens have been expressing concern and annoyance over telephone calls from the PP, with either a voice recording of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar or a representative conducting a survey.
People have also received emails soliciting volunteers for the PP campaign or encouraging them to vote for “Team Kamla,” especially on social media websites
Citizens online have questioned the source of the Partnership’s mailing list and whether their right to privacy was not being infringed.
In an interview yesterday, however, Charles said no one’s privacy was being infringed.
“It is marketing. I used to get calls and texts from Obama (US President Barack Obama),” Charles said, referring to the campaigns of American President Barack Obama.
He said in marketing there were ways of getting contact information for specific target groups.
“In the 17th century someone used to walk around and drop things in your mailbox. Things have changed but there is nothing illegal about it. We did not get it from TSTT or Digicel,” Charles said.
While in many countries political campaigns now include these tactics, there is a fine line between what is legal and what isn’t. In fact, many companies internationally are compelled by the law to request permission before sharing personal and private information of consumers.
According to Charles, the People’s Partnership had several ways of accessing contact information, including referrals from people who gave their friends’ numbers and email addresses to be part of a list.
“Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is committed to listening to the views of all citizens and taking their perspectives on board as she strives to develop policies and programmes to take T&T forward into the 21st century.
“As she engages the citizenry, she incorporates all available media, including direct mails via mail boxes, telephone contact, cottage meetings, town hall discussions, walkabouts, social media and electronic media,” Charles said in a response.
He said the media were available to all parties and they afford her the opportunity to craft the best policies based on constant contact with, and feedback from, voters throughout T&T.
He said at all times people contacted had the freedom to not engage and decline interaction as that was their right, which is respected by the party.
Many people have said that was not true as there did not seem to be any option to unsubscribe from mailing lists.
Charles said the techniques were used by marketing companies, political parties and polling agencies throughout the developed world.
“This is 21st century campaigning which the PNM party seems entirely unaware of at this time,” he added.
But this modern approach to campaigning is being heavily criticised on social media.
Belmont resident Genesee said she was disturbed and confused about who gave the People’s Partnership her number.
“I am disturbed because I will like to know why my number is just out there for people to randomly call me. I am a very private person and it makes me very uncomfortable.”
Another citizen online complained that she had gotten multiple calls and emails and had responded to the email asking the sender to discontinue but had received no response.
“The emails keep coming and it is very annoying,” she added.