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Is an ‘opt-in’ regime. The law applies to ‘unsolicited communications’ (22(1)) and 

was introduced with a view to reducing spam, although its impact will be limited on 

spammers beyond Europe. The recipient must have ‘previously notified the sender 

that he consents’ (22(2)) or has proactively agreed to receive commercial email. This 

is 

opt-in

. Opt‑in can be achieved online or offline through asking people whether 

they want to receive email. Online this is often done through a tick box. In fact, the 

PECR law does not mandate a tick box option (except for receiving communica‑

tions from third parties) provided consent is clearly indicated, such as by pressing a 

button.

The approach required by the law has 

been used by many organisations for some 

time,  as sending unsolicited emails was 

thought to be unethical and also not in the 

best interests of the company because of the 

risk of annoying customers. In fact, the law 

conforms to an established approach known 

as ‘