Re: FN-FORUM: UK based spam muppets

date posted 1st December 2003 17:00

Iain Bruce wrote:

> Hi Alan,
>
> Thanks for the info.
>
> This report on silicon.com (http://tinyurl.com/x7zn) indicates that its Dec
> 11th 2003 when UK companies require the recipient be an existing customer or
> has given their permission to receive such material.
>
> I can't find any links re "since last month for individuals" - is there any
> further reading anyone could recommend?

If it's advertising from the UK, then it still must comply with the ASA,
even with email. There are still rules, including (from a recent
complaint I made):

"The Advertising Standards Authority administers the rules by which the
marketing industry regulates the content of non-broadcast
advertisements. One of our tasks is to investigate complaints from the
public and the industry about advertisements that are alleged to break
the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing
(the Code). Clause 43.4c of the Code states:

'The explicit consent of consumers is required before marketing by
e-mail or SMS text transmission, save that marketers may market their
similar products to their existing customers without explicit consent so
long as an opportunity to object to further such marketing is given on
each occasion.'

"We understand you have not given your explicit consent to receive
marketing e-mails from [company removed]. Nor, we presume, are you an
existing customer.

"We have written to the advertisers and told them not to send
unsolicited marketing e-mails to non-customers again. If you continue
to receive such e-mails from the advertisers, please allow 28 days for
them to update their records. If by then they have not stopped, please
write to us again."

http://www.asa.org.uk/

Matt