You know things are going on when unsolicited political text messages start pinging on your smart phone. Like this one that arrived this morning from One Nation that doesn’t appear to have an unsubscribe/STOP function as it should have.
One Nation
Last November we wrote about the Whys & Wherefores of the Unsolicited Political Text Message and in light of today’s One Nation unsolicited text thought we should reprise it!
It’s not a new phenomenon, the unsolicited political text message. Many Freo folk will remember the annoying unsolicited Clive Palmer-funded Trumpet of Patriots text messages pinging their smart phones during the 2025 federal election campaign. They were followed my messages from some of the hopefuls during the Freo Mayoral election last year. And more recently, Josh Wilson, our local federal Freo MP also took to texting constituents randomly. At the moment there’s not even an election in sight. But there sure is a lot of stuff going around about One Nation just now and opinion pollsters are being kept busy.
Not everyone enjoys receiving an unsolicited message, including political ones from your local MP, assuming of course any embedded links aren’t designed to take you into the hands of a scammer.
So, just what are the whys and wherefores of the political text? Are they legal? Why are the Pollies doing this? Where do they get our numbers from? And why dont they ask us first? So many questions!
We assume today’s One Nation one isn’t a scammer’s work. It coincides with Pauline Hanson’s arrival today in the West. Something of a comms media blitz.
So, what are the whys and wherefores of unsolicited political text messaging?
AS TO THE LAW …
In Australia, unsolicited political text messages occupy an interesting legal grey area.
Political communications are largely exempt from spam laws. Yes, there is a spam act, the federal Spam Act 2003, but it doesn’t apply to messages authorised by political parties, MPs, or candidates. Political speech receives strong protection in Australia as part of the implied freedom of political communication in the Constitution.
CAN YOU STOP THEM?
However, there are some constraints –
• Political parties are exempt from needing your consent to send you texts — but they are not exempt from the requirement to include an unsubscribe/STOP function – which this one from One Nation doesn’t appear to include. While the message has ‘One Nation’ at the top, no contact details are provided. And there’s no unsubscribe or STOP link.
• The federal Privacy Act 1988 applies if they’re using commercial marketing lists inappropriately.
• The Do Not Call Register doesn’t cover political calls/texts.
State laws vary, but generally also exempt political communications. 
In WA, there’s no specific prohibition on MPs or local pollies texting constituents.
BUT HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT THEM?
Research shows mixed to negative reactions. The Shipping News polling of an unrepresentative group of friends and acquaintances over the past few days indicated that –
• Some found the unsolicited political texts intrusive and annoying, especially when they haven’t opted in
• Some don’t like the of invasion of privacy – “How did they get my number?”
• Younger voters may be more accepting of digital outreach, but still prefer opt-in methods
• Effectiveness is questioned – these messages often trigger backlash rather than support
• The “creep factor” increases when people don’t recall ever providing their number to that politician.
Studies on political SMS campaigns suggest they have low engagement rates and can actually harm the sender’s image if perceived as spam.
US Research findings are interesting –
• Americans received an unbelievable record 15 billion political texts in 2022 – an average of 50 for every mobile phone in the country
• Even some of the researchers who pioneered campaign texts are frustrated by the volume, with one saying “like many people, I am annoyed by how many of them I get” 
• Multiple lawsuits have been filed against both Democratic and Republican organisations over unsolicited mass texting.
But campaigns continue because, apparently, they work –
• “If you see more of something, it means it’s working,” said one researcher tracking political texts
• There is a risk that such messages can backfire, as recipients may find them intrusive and choose to support a different candidate instead.
Australian research and expert opinion seems to be more negative.
Expert assessment – 
• Political analyst Kos Samaras described unsolicited campaign texts as “vote killers” and “basically probably one of the quickest ways you can send a message to people that you are impersonal”
• He called them “an absolute waste of money, an absolute waste of time, and a vote killer” saying “It annoys voters, turns voters off”.
Public reaction has been along the same lines –
• Widespread complaints about Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots messages, with people calling them “completely inappropriate”
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called banning such texts a “reasonable thing to do”.
WHY DO POLITICIANS KEEP USING THEM THEN?
The reality is campaigns keep using texts because some people respond positively enough to make them cost-effective.
WHERE DID THEY GET MY NUMBER FROM?
There are several possible ways Pollies obtained your number.
Most Likely Sources –
1. Electoral roll data enrichment
• While the electoral roll itself doesn’t contain phone numbers, political parties often cross-reference it with:
• Commercially purchased data lists
• Public records and directories
• Data brokers who compile information from various sources.
2. Previous interactions
• Did you ever: contact their office about an issue, sign a petition (online or in person), attend a community event, fill out a survey, or engage with a Pollie’s or their Party’s campaigns?
• Even casual interactions years ago might have captured your details
3. Commercial data brokers
• Political parties can legally purchase contact databases that match demographic and geographic information
• These compile data from loyalty programs, public records, social media, app usage, and other sources.
4. Party membership or donations
• If you’ve ever been a party member, donor, or volunteer (even decades ago), you’re likely to be in their database.
5. Doorknocking/phone banking data
• If someone answered your door or phone during previous campaigns, that information gets recorded.
THE TRANSPARENCY PROBLEM
Here’s the issue: they don’t have to tell you where they got your number and there’s minimal oversight. Unlike commercial entities, political parties have broad exemptions from privacy laws.
This lack of transparency is what makes many people uncomfortable – you can’t easily find out how you ended up on their list or ensure your data is properly managed.
You could contact the sender’s office directly and ask how they obtained your number – they may or may not provide a clear answer, but it’s worth trying if you’re concerned.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
IF YOUR NUMBER HAS BEEN OBTAINED AS A RESULT OF MISUSE OF INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT
It seems “misuse” may arise where your number was –
1. Obtained through official MP duties, used for partisan purposes
• For example, if you contacted the politician or their office in their capacity as your MP (eg, seeking help with a Centrelink issue, immigration matter, etc.), that’s supposed to be kept separate from party political activities
• Using such constituent service contact details for Party campaigning would be inappropriate and potentially breach parliamentary standards.
2. Third-party breach of trust
• If an organisation you trusted with your number (doctor’s office, school, community group) sold or shared data with political parties without proper consent
• Some data sharing practices, while legal, violate reasonable expectations.
3. Inadequate consent from data brokers
• If your number came from a commercial list where you never consented to political use
• While parties have broad exemptions, the original collection should have been lawful.
4. Failure to honor previous opt-outs
• If you previously unsubscribed from Labor/Wilson communications, for example, and they re-added you through a different list.
5. Incorrect matching/data enrichment
• If they’ve incorrectly linked your number to someone else’s electoral roll entry (though this would be careless rather than deliberately misused).
What  constitutes misuse v just unwanted contact is tricky.
Probably misuse:
• Using constituent service contacts for campaigning
• Ignoring your previous unsubscribe requests
• Obtaining data through deceptive means.
Probably not misuse (just legal but annoying):
• Purchasing your number from a commercial data broker
• Using details you provided at a community event years ago
• Cross-referencing publicly available information.
If You Suspect Misuse you could:
• Ask the Pollie’s office directly how they got your number
• Complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner if you believe privacy laws were violated
• Contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman if you think MP resources were misused for party-political purposes.
The reality is that the bar for “misuse” in political contexts is frustratingly high due to exemptions, but genuine breaches (like using constituent service data) would be taken seriously.
YOUR OPTIONS
As we say, it is open to recipients of the unsolicited text to hit the opt out link and/or to phone the Pollie’s office and ask to be taken off the list, and also to ask how they got your number. We doubt they’ll tell you the answer to how!
If you fear you information may have been misused in a legal sense, you can also complain to the federal Privacy Commissioner or Ombudsman.
We will look forward to receiving our readers’ reactions to the unsolicited text phenomenon. Should there be a law against it? We will be pleased to post a selection of your emails. 
By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News.
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