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As last captured

Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 ·

22 Use of electronic mail for direct marketing purposes

reg. 22 · in force: yes

Captured statutory text (L5)

22 Use of electronic mail for direct marketing purposes

(1)This regulation applies to the transmission of unsolicited communications by means of electronic mail to individual subscribers.
(2)Except in the circumstances referred to in paragraph (3) or (3A), a person shall neither transmit, nor instigate the transmission of, unsolicited communications for the purposes of direct marketing by means of electronic mail unless the recipient of the electronic mail has previously notified the sender that he consents for the time being to such communications being sent by, or at the instigation of, the sender.
(3)A person may send or instigate the sending of electronic mail for the purposes of direct marketing where—
(a)that person has obtained the contact details of the recipient of that electronic mail in the course of the sale or negotiations for the sale of a product or service to that recipient;
(b)the direct marketing is in respect of that person’s similar products and services only; and
(c)the recipient has been given a simple means of refusing (free of charge except for the costs of the transmission of the refusal) the use of his contact details for the purposes of such direct marketing, at the time that the details were initially collected, and, where he did not initially refuse the use of the details, at the time of each subsequent communication.
(3A)A charity may send or instigate the sending of electronic mail for the purposes of direct marketing where—
(a)the sole purpose of the direct marketing is to further one or more of the charity’s charitable purposes;
(b)the charity obtained the contact details of the recipient of the electronic mail in the course of the recipient—
(i)expressing an interest in one or more of the purposes that were the charity’s charitable purposes at that time; or
(ii)offering or providing support to further one or more of those purposes; and
(c)the recipient has been given a simple means of refusing (free of charge except for the costs of the transmission of the refusal) the use of their contact details for the purposes of direct marketing by the charity, at the time that the details were initially collected, and, where the recipient did not initially refuse the use of the details, at the time of each subsequent communication.
(4)A subscriber shall not permit his line to be used in contravention of paragraph (2).
(5)In this regulation, “charity” means—
(a)a charity as defined in section 1(1) of the Charities Act 2011,
(b)a charity as defined in section 1(1) of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 12 (N.I.)), including an institution treated as such a charity for the purposes of that Act by virtue of the Charities Act 2008 (Transitional Provision) Order (Northern Ireland) 2013 (S.R. (N.I.) 2013 No. 211), and
(c)a body entered in the Scottish Charity Register, other than a body which no longer meets the charity test in section 7 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (asp 10),
and, in relation to such a charity, institution or body, “charitable purpose” has the meaning given in the relevant Act.
Full captured verbatim text
(1) This regulation applies to the transmission of unsolicited communications by means of electronic mail to individual subscribers.

(2) Except in the circumstances referred to in paragraph (3) or (3A), a person shall neither transmit, nor instigate the transmission of, unsolicited communications for the purposes of direct marketing by means of electronic mail unless the recipient of the electronic mail has previously notified the sender that he consents for the time being to such communications being sent by, or at the instigation of, the sender.

(3) A person may send or instigate the sending of electronic mail for the purposes of direct marketing where—

(a) that person has obtained the contact details of the recipient of that electronic mail in the course of the sale or negotiations for the sale of a product or service to that recipient;

(b) the direct marketing is in respect of that person’s similar products and services only; and

(c) the recipient has been given a simple means of refusing (free of charge except for the costs of the transmission of the refusal) the use of his contact details for the purposes of such direct marketing, at the time that the details were initially collected, and, where he did not initially refuse the use of the details, at the time of each subsequent communication.

(3A) A charity may send or instigate the sending of electronic mail for the purposes of direct marketing where—

(a) the sole purpose of the direct marketing is to further one or more of the charity’s charitable purposes;

(b) the charity obtained the contact details of the recipient of the electronic mail in the course of the recipient—

(i) expressing an interest in one or more of the purposes that were the charity’s charitable purposes at that time; or

(ii) offering or providing support to further one or more of those purposes; and

(c) the recipient has been given a simple means of refusing (free of charge except for the costs of the transmission of the refusal) the use of their contact details for the purposes of direct marketing by the charity, at the time that the details were initially collected, and, where the recipient did not initially refuse the use of the details, at the time of each subsequent communication.

(4) A subscriber shall not permit his line to be used in contravention of paragraph (2).

(5) In this regulation, “charity” means—

(a) a charity as defined in section 1(1) of the Charities Act 2011,

(b) a charity as defined in section 1(1) of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 12 (N.I.)), including an institution treated as such a charity for the purposes of that Act by virtue of the Charities Act 2008 (Transitional Provision) Order (Northern Ireland) 2013 (S.R. (N.I.) 2013 No. 211), and

(c) a body entered in the Scottish Charity Register, other than a body which no longer meets the charity test in section 7 of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 (asp 10),

and, in relation to such a charity, institution or body, “charitable purpose” has the meaning given in the relevant Act.

What this provision means

Model summary, checked against the text on the left.

Relevance to Signicat: 3/3 · detailed summary (L4) Status: ok · Stored artifact; current recipe verification unavailable

Prohibits unsolicited marketing electronic mail to individual subscribers unless prior consent is obtained or statutory commercial or charity soft opt-in applies.

(2) Except in the circumstances referred to in paragraph (3) or (3A), a person shall neither transmit, nor instigate the transmission of, unsolicited communications for the purposes of direct marketing by means of electronic mail unless the recipient of the electronic mail has previously notified the sender that he consents for the time being to such communications being sent by, or at the instigation of, the sender.
(3) A person may send or instigate the sending of electronic mail for the purposes of direct marketing where—
(3A) A charity may send or instigate the sending of electronic mail for the purposes of direct marketing where—
Under (1) and (2), a person shall neither transmit nor instigate unsolicited communications for direct marketing by electronic mail to individual subscribers unless the recipient previously consented, except in circumstances referred to in paragraph (3) or (3A). Under (4), a subscriber shall not permit his line to be used in contravention of paragraph (2).
data_protection.processor_controls

Refers to

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Referred to by

cross-reference internal_cite · Sch. 1 para. 18

Part summaries

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Verification findings (102)

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Instrument tier unavailable

Change history as published

Reg. 5B omitted (5.2.2026) by virtue of Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 115(3), 142(1); S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(y) (with regs. 8-11)

Reg. 31A omitted (5.2.2026) by virtue of Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 115(6), 142(1); S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(y) (with regs. 8-11)

Reg. 31B omitted (5.2.2026) by virtue of Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (c. 18), ss. 115(7), 142(1); S.I. 2026/82, reg. 2(y) (with regs. 8-11)

Pending effects amendments not yet applied to this text

reg. 33 words substituted by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 Sch. 3 para. 6(6)(b)(ii) · Effective date unknown · reg. 33

reg. 33 word substituted by The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 Sch. 3 para. 6(6)(c) · Effective date unknown · reg. 33

Provenance

Every claim the system makes about this text is traceable to these identifiers.

Instrument
uk:uksi/2003/2426
Part
Version
d0dbd86454c94cdf82f0218b…
Content hash
sha256 af8f9399571676d7c45ccb97…
Source
legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2426