Is your email database GDPR compliant?

What exactly is the GDPR you may ask and surely what does it have to do with my business?

According to www.gdpreu.org, The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union regulation that aims to standardize and strengthen data protection policies for residents of EU member nations.

Simply stated, should you contain email addresses in your database that belong to members of the EU, or be licensed by a company within the EU, you will need to sure you abide and comply with the regulation which will be passed on the 25th of May 2018.

If you are unsure whether you comply or not the GDPR's official website breaks down the information here: https://www.gdpreu.org/the-regulation/who-must-comply/.

The GDPR Requires Proof of Opt-in (not opt-out) Consent

It is common practice for collecting email addresses and information for marketing mailing lists to bury a pre-ticked “subscribe” or "opt-in" checkbox somewhere on the registration, order or submission page. This practice is simply not GDPR compliant.

As per the GDPR's official site, Not only do email marketers need to obtain opt-in consent from email recipients, they also need proof of the opt-in consent.

The site also recommends the following tips to ensure you comply

"As for existing mailing lists, there are three options: (1) delete the whole mailing list and start over; (2) attempt to segregate EU addresses from non-EU addresses; and (3) contact the addresses asking them to opt-in to continue receiving emails after the GDPR goes live."

Where can I find out the rules on email tracking?

The official GDPR site also has some handy information on email tracking and the rules around what is and is not allowed in the new GDPR regulations. These can be found here: https://www.gdpreu.org/compliance/email-tracking/

Should you require more information on compliance or need some help with your database, let one of our Account Manger's call you back or visit us at TouchBasePro today.