New rules tackle text adverts/emails etc

New UK law

[ukgimp]

Companies sending text message or e-mail adverts will have to get the permission of users before they do so under new rules.

[news.bbc.co.uk...]

How well this will work I dont know. I doubt it will stop people telling me "how to get a bigger member" via emails and popups, especially those clearly sent from foreign countries.

Perhaps they will be able to go after the actual company avertising, but in the UK fly posting is supposed to be illegal but it still goes on. The companies claim that as far as they know the poster distributors have legitimate sites.

Cheers

[hakre]

that's a nice news. i hope the other european countries will continue to adopt. austria made a first step into this straigh no-spam a long-time ago. a us-state did something similar the last week i think, but i don't remember the states' name.

[cornwall]

I doubt it will stop people telling me "how to get a bigger member" via emails and popups, especially those clearly sent from foreign countries.

There is, unfortunately, no way that this can possibly stop those "foreign" emails. A recent Guardian article said 40% originated in Boca Raton, USA!

The number of spam emails originating in UK is very small.

[edit_g]

Thanks ukgimp, I've been looking for that link all morning.

[Marketing Guy]

One of my mods posted this link on my forum:

[cap.org.uk...]

There's a PDF file (about 20 odd pages) about new direct marketing guidlines in the UK.

The guidlines dont apply to website content with the exception of sales promotions and ads in paid for space.

All in all the document is a fairly good reference to good practice direct marketing - it covers most of the general points and a few specifics about different industries.

Scott

[edit_g]

As I understand it this is not law, just best practise.

[4eyes]

I suppose having legislation in place is better than leaving it unrestricted, but impossible to enforce.

Stil it might reduce the number of clients requesting that we spam on their behalf.

[andreasfriedrich]

I suppose this is the UKs way to implement the Directive on privacy and electronic communications (2002/58/EC) [europa.eu.int] which provides in section 40:

Safeguards should be provided for subscribers against intrusion of their privacy by unsolicited communications for direct marketing purposes in particular by means of automated calling machines, telefaxes, and e-mails, including SMS messages.

In Austria this is indeed a Verwaltungsvergehen (I believe thatīs what they call it). About two months ago a court in Berlin ruled that not even a double opt-in was enough for the publisher to prove the subscriberīs consent in getting commercial emails.

So you need to be careful when sending emails to people in all member states of the European Union [europa.eu.int].