Petition Personal Information-STOP ASSUMED CONSENT

I would like to see a change in legislation that forces companies to obtain explicit consent to use personal information for marketing purposes or to pass on to third parties. Personal information is just that, personal to the owner and no other person. The Data Protection Act requires the owner of personal information to write to data controllers to ASK for the removal of personal details. Surely this is the wrong way round!. By obtaining explicit consent marketing can be targeted at people who want it and not those who don't, thus avoiding the millions of tonnes of waste paper / leaflets that the local authorities have to dispose of. This would be a saving to businesses and also the tax payer.