The House of Representatives has commenced the process of empowering consumers of telecommunication services to challenge "the invasion of privacy" by telecom operators.

The lawmakers yesterday passed for second reading a bill for an act to protect telephone consumers from the activities of telemarketers and to provide for adequate sanctions against the business of telemarketing in Nigeria.

The bill sponsored by Abiodun Abdul Balogun is seeking to prohibit any service provider from posting any unsolicited advertisement for any called party.

The is bill is also seeking to prohibit any service provider from calling any residential telephone line using an artificial or pre-recorded voice to deliver text messages (SMS) without the prior consent of the called party.

Online telemarketing was not spared as it was also prohibited except with the consent or application of a subscriber.

They also seek for a fine of up to N5million for anyone convicted for engaging in unsolicited marketing through telephony.