The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations apply to unsolicited electronic marketing messages sent by telephone, fax, email or text.
If you want to make automated telephone calls or send a fax to an individual you must have the subscriber's consent, and include your identity in the call.
If they wish, subscribers can opt out of direct marketing phone calls. People on the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) register should not receive these type of calls unless they give their permission. Businesses may also register with TPS to prevent unsolicited marketing calls.
Individual and corporate subscribers can register their objection to receiving unsolicited direct marketing faxes by registering their number with the Fax Preference Service.
Unsolicited marketing material by electronic mail (this includes texts, picture messages and emails) should only be sent if the person has chosen to receive them, unless the email address was obtained as a result of a commercial relationship. The individual should always be given the opportunity to stop receiving the emails.
The ICO is working with its European counterparts and the US to try to reduce spam, but these regulations only apply to spam sent from within the EU. There is currently no legislation to cover spam sent to business addresses. Find out more about spam and how to reduce and report it.
You can find out full details in the privacy and electronic communications pages of the website.