European and local laws impose similar concepts (do not hide your identity, do not pretend to be someone else ...) but the details may vary from one country to another. Also, in addition to laws, certain regulations or good practices can clarify what is expected from senders.
These laws and rules have been established to ensure transparency to recipients, and to improve or maintain consumers' trust in the digital economy.
We summarize here the information to include in emails:
- Company Name
- Complete mailing address (no P.O. box)
- Phone number, to reach a person (no fully automated mailbox)
- A contact email address (customer service, for example)
- Intra-Community VAT number if applicable
The text must be reasonably visible and legible (no light color text on a light background, no writing too small, etc.). It has to be permanently visible even if the recipient is not online (in other words, it has to be text, and not a remote picture of text).
The unsubscribe link is of course also mandatory, and we recommend not to drown it in the middle of the mandatory information.
In addition, if the message contains an offer, the terms and conditions of the offer must also be provided.
Example
You are receiving this e-mail because subscribed to the newsletter of MyBrand, 12 Loaves Street, READING, RG44 6MY. VAT: GB95 692 022 213 - contact@mybrand.co.uk - Tel: +44 1632 960213
In accordance with personal data protection law, you have the rights of access, rectification, cancellation and opposition. If you wish to make use of this right, please contact us.
Click here if you no longer wish to receive a newsletter from MyBrand
Resource
- https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=3FA5D849272D02CD52C6E65E87902C4F.tplgfr41s_2?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000005789847&dateTexte=20190601#LEGISCTA000006117686
- https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/tmg/__5.html
- https://certified-senders.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CSA_Admission_Criteria.pdf
- https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2002-13758
- https://www.garanteprivacy.it/web/guest/home/docweb/-/docweb-display/docweb/9042678