United Kingdom: great idea, except it's illegal
The Liberal Democrats came up with this great idea. Here's the way the Press Association described it: Voters will be bombarded with a quarter of a million automated telephone calls featuring a recording of Nick Clegg as part of a new Liberal Democrat attempt to canvass public opinion of its leader's policies.
Households in 50 marginal seats will be targeted by the US-style cold-calling technique shortly after Mr Clegg delivers a keynote conference speech in which he will declare Labour "dead" and his party the only alternative. -- Cold-calling Clegg eyes key voters
But, as The Herald explains: The SNP [Scottish Nationalist Party] and the Conservatives have weighed in to the LibDem telesales debacle, claiming that the masterplan to ring up 250,000 voters last night with an automated Nick Clegg, multiple choice, cold call is quite illegal.
Something to do with the 2003 Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations and quite a lot to do with the fact that the LibDems complained about the SNP doing the same thing in 2005.
M'learned friends will recall that on that occasion the Information Commissioner ruled that what the SNP were doing was illegal and took out an enforcement notice. -- Nationalists Remember The Illegality Of Cold Call Masterplan (from The Herald )