On this page you’ll find all the guidance and information you need to support your direct marketing activities, use cookies or similar technologies, and provide electronic communication services to the public
Brief guidance
An introduction to direct marketing
A step-by-step guide for organisations looking to carry out direct marketing. This guide is aimed at small businesses, but is suitable for any organisation wanting a brief overview of the rules surrounding direct marketing.
Privacy and electronic communications regulations (PECR): a guide
How to lawfully send electronic marketing messages by phone, email or text, use cookies or similar technologies, or provide electronic communications to the public.
Sending direct marketing messages: at-a-glance guide
A simple guide to the rules on sending direct marketing by phone call, electronic mail (email and text), fax and post.
Main guidance
Direct marketing: a guide
This guidance sets out what you need to consider and the actions you need to take when you want to carry out direct marketing activities.
Detailed guidance
Live marketing calls
How PECR applies to making live direct marketing calls.
Electronic mail marketing
How PECR applies to electronic mail marketing (including emails and text messages).
Cookies and similar technologies
Definitions of cookies and similar technologies, the rules that apply when using them when operating an online service such as a website or mobile app, and how the UK GDPR applies to cookies.
Business-to-business marketing
How to lawfully send marketing to other businesses.
Using data broking services for direct marketing purposes
Guidance for organisations using marketing services of data brokers.
In your sector
Public sector and direct marketing
Guidance for public authorities on when public sector promotions count as direct marketing.
Regulatory communications and direct marketing
Guidance for the regulated private sector (eg finance, utilities, communications) to help decide when a regulatory communication message might count as direct marketing.
Political campaigning and personal data
How to apply the principles of data protection during political campaigning, how to profile people fairly, how to carry out direct marketing and research lawfully and how to protect information when campaigning online.
Resources
Direct marketing advice generator
Use this tool to get tailored direct marketing advice and feel more confident you’re using people’s information in the right way. It will help you with a variety of direct marketing activities – from email to SMS to targeted social media and more.
Direct marketing checklist
Step-by-step guidance through the process of using information for direct marketing purposes.
Choosing your lawful basis for sending direct marketing
Find out which lawful basis might be right one to use when sending marketing by phone, post, email or text, and what the PECR requirement is.
Direct marketing self-assessment checklist
Assess your business in the area of direct marketing in line with PECR and data protection legislation.
Training videos: PECR
Recordings of ICO staff training on the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations (PECR), available for you to reuse.
Direct marketing guidance impact assessment
Read the impact assessment report for our direct marketing guidance.
Responses to the 2020 consultation on a draft direct marketing code of practice
Read the summary of responses from our public consultation.