[4] The DNCL continues to receive heavy criticism, the latest being from Senator Percy Downe who referred to it as "totally useless",[5] due to the costly but totally ineffective enforcement, the large number of exempt groups and the ability for anyone from anywhere in the world to purchase sets of phone numbers for relatively low fees, and then abuse the Do Not Call List as a calling list.
[6] Senator Downe cited multiple examples of constituents, whom he had personally added to the list, receiving a sudden increase in telemarketing calls three months later.
[1] The Do Not Call List exempts Canadian registered charities, political parties, riding associations, candidates, pollsters and newspapers of general circulation for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions.
Unlike the DNCL Rules, the Act itself makes no provision for a grace period or expiry, so all do not call requests must be honoured immediately and permanently.
On 21 December 2007,[20] the CRTC announced that it had picked Bell Canada to operate the National Do Not Call List for five years.
In a 2009 article for the Toronto Star, Geist labelled the CRTC's do-not-call list a "disaster" and recommended that parliament return to the original version of Bill C-37 by eliminating all exemptions.
He further recommended cross-border cooperation to resolve jurisdictional issues and immediate tough enforcement to send a strong signal to violators.
[24] In January 2009, numerous media and consumer advocacy organizations reported that anyone can use false information pretending to be a telemarketer and download a set of numbers from the list for a $50 fee.
[6][25] Konrad von Finckenstein, Chair of the CRTC, responded to these allegations on 16 June 2009, labeling them an urban myth, and stating that the Government had looked into the claims and that there was "no evidence to substantiate them".
[30] Other jurisdictions such as the USA provide similar Query/Response functions to checklists of small sets of numbers simultaneously, also free of charge.
[32] On 17 June 2008, the USA made registrations permanent until the number is disconnected or reassigned, citing "...benefits to the public and to consumer privacy interests...".