In today’s digital world, businesses rely heavily on email marketing to reach their target audience. However, with the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May 2018, there has been a lot of confusion regarding email lists and their acquisition. This article will explore whether you can buy email lists in the age of GDPR.
What is GDPR?
The GDPR is a comprehensive privacy law that regulates the processing of personal data of individuals within the European Union (EU). It applies to all companies that offer goods or services to individuals in the EU, regardless of where the company is based. The GDPR emphasizes the importance of obtaining explicit consent from individuals before processing their personal data. This means that companies must have a legitimate reason for collecting and processing personal data and obtain explicit consent from individuals for each specific purpose.
Is it legal to buy email lists with the GDPR?
Despite the stringent regulations surrounding collecting and using personal data, businesses can still legally buy email lists under certain conditions. For example, if the individual on the email list has given explicit consent to receive marketing communications, then the business can use that email address to send promotional messages.
Additionally, if the email list was obtained through legitimate means, such as through a reputable third-party provider that has obtained the necessary consent from individuals on the list, then the business can use the email addresses for marketing purposes.
It’s important to note that businesses must comply with all relevant laws and regulations when purchasing email lists. This includes verifying that the individuals on the list have given their consent to receive marketing communications and ensuring that they have the ability to opt-out of future emails.
Furthermore, businesses must take appropriate measures to protect the personal data of individuals on their email lists. This includes implementing appropriate security measures to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure of the data and ensuring that the data is accurate and up-to-date.
Understand the Email Laws in EEA Better
One of the key regulations governing email marketing in the EEA is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR stipulates that businesses must obtain explicit consent from individuals before sending them marketing emails. This means that businesses must provide clear and transparent information about the purposes of their email communications and obtain consent from individuals before sending any promotional messages.
To obtain consent, businesses can use three different methods: opt-out, opt-in, and double opt-in. Opt-out means that individuals are automatically subscribed to receive email communications but can unsubscribe or opt-out at any time. Opt-in means that individuals must actively subscribe and consent to receive email communications. Double opt-in is similar to opt-in but requires individuals to confirm their subscription through a second verification step.
While opt-out may seem like the easiest method for businesses, it may not be the most effective in building a loyal and engaged audience. Opt-in and double opt-in methods are generally considered more effective in obtaining high-quality subscribers genuinely interested in the business and its products or services.
Regardless of the method used to obtain consent, the GDPR requires businesses to allow individuals to opt out of future emails at any time. This means that businesses must provide a clear and simple way for individuals to unsubscribe from email communications if they no longer wish to receive them.
Can you still buy email lists in the age of the GDPR
Yes, it’s still 100% possible to buy email lists in the age of the GDPR. But it’s important to know that with the entry of the GDPR in 2018 nothing has changed about the legislation regarding e-mail marketing. There is a lot of change in terms of data processing and updating of data. It’s important to choose an email list provider that is GDPR proof. Once your order the email list it’s important that you take care of the rights of the individuals involved, as described in the GDPR.
Look at the local telecommunication acts when buying email lists
When buying email lists please keep in mind that you are also responsible for following local direct marketing legislations and telecommunication acts. In some countries you need permission in advance to communicate via e-mail. In some countries you send b2b emails without prior consent. Do you want to email companies in Europe? Then have a look at below map with email law per country.
Do you want to e-mail consumers?
Then you need consent before you are allowed to use their email addresses. A so-called opt-in. Chances are you are not in possession of this consent. No problem, in Europe and USA there’s thousands of email list available from companies (publishers) that rent out their email data for marketing purposes. These e-mail lists with opt-in must are always sent/broadcasted by the owner of the database (publisher). So in principle you rent the file for a one-time mailing. After the broadcast has been sent you will receive a report of the number of emails sent, opens, clicks and other statistics.
Benefits of purchasing email lists with opt-in
- Good for branding: you lift on the strength of the brand
- Accurate email addresses: bounce percentage always below 5%
- Everything according the local privacy legislations and GDPR: peace of mind
Disadvantages of purchasing email lists with opt-in
- You do not receive any data yourself, because the emailing is sent by the owner of the file
- Accurate email addresses: bounce percentage always below 5%
- No possibility to do multichannel campaigns. For example, phone numbers are often not available
Buy email lists from BoldData with peace of mind
BoldData’s secret recipy is that all the information in our email lists are built through 10.000+ local market information data sources. These local data sources arrange the day-to-day updating and quality enhancement/checking of the data. The updates are sent to BoldData B2B Email List on a daily basis. So the dataquality of our B2B Email List is extremely high. BoldData has access to more than 10,000 data sources worldwide.
