As a responsible marketer I’m sure you’re aware of the Data Protection Act 1998 and no doubt also the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR is easier to say) but do you really know what your responsibilities are in light of them?
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) decided last September that we all needed a bit of guidance to help us understand the laws and so published the ‘Guidance on Direct Marketing’. Helpful…but still 45 pages long. The Direct Marketing Association decided to help out and published their own guidance on the guidance, which is well worth reading, and I thought I’d try and list some of the key points to help us all. Bear in mind this relates specifically to electronic communications (email and SMS predominantly) covered in the PECR.
- It covers only marketing messages NOT those that are transactional, service announcement, billing information etc.
- The PECR doesn’t apply if the customer has approached you about services/products but it DOES apply if they have opted-in.
- Don’t pre-tick opt-in boxes – customers should take some positive action to say they want to sign up
- Third party consent? Best practice is to conduct mailings to customers who have opted in on behalf of the third party NOT to provide the contact details to the third party
- Consent lasts for six months – if they have been receiving messages and haven’t unsubscribed that’s considered up to date but if they haven’t been mailed for over six months since signing up then you should regain consent
- If someone unsubscribes you have 28 days in which to suppress them from all lists. Note the term ‘suppress’ – you shouldn’t delete them as you need to check you don’t mail them again
- Your opt-out must be clear on every communication
- The ICO does have the power to take enforcement action if you don’t comply, including imposing fines of up to £500,000
- The laws still apply even if you are not-for-profit
It should be noted that the PECR also covers telephone calls but I haven’t covered them here. If you employ telemarketing services you should definitely read the Guidance and take note of the telephone section.
Why all this interest in electronic communications all of a sudden? Well, it’s the main method of contacting customers these days and the PECR rules are stricter than for traditional paper-based comms.
Best advice…get up to speed, know what the rules are and stick to them.