The importance of Consent in Newsletters: Avoiding Fines and Legal Problems
Sending promotional newsletters without the recipient's consent can result in significant sanctions, as demonstrated by a recent case involving a hotel on the Romagna Riviera. A holidaymaker, who had never stayed at the hotel in question, received a promotional email and asked for explanations about the origin of his data. The hotel was unable to provide adequate documentation, resulting in a fine of 10,000 euros from the Guarantor for the protection of personal data (Il Resto del Carlino).
Why Consent is Crucial
- Legal Compliance: Privacy regulations, such as the GDPR, require explicit consent to send promotional communications.
- Customer trust: Obtaining consent demonstrates respect for customer privacy, building trust and loyalty.
- Avoid Sanctions: Fines for privacy violations can be high, as demonstrated by the case above.
How to Obtain Consent
- Registration form: Use clear and transparent forms to collect consent when subscribing to the newsletter.
- Double Opt-In: Implement a double opt-in system to ensure that the recipient has actually agreed to receive communications.
- Documentation: Maintain detailed records of consent received to demonstrate compliance in the event of an audit.
as the rest of the pug quotes:
“It was not Never been to that hotel on the Ravenna coast nor had he ever had anything to do with whoever now manages it. Despite that, had received an advertising promotion email. And then he asked for formal explanations on how and where his data had been collected, invoking, in vain, the right to have a copy of it. A singular story that happened to a consumer and resulting in the conviction of the Ravenna srl which manages the hotel in question. In particular, the Guarantor for the protection of personal data has established a administrative fine of 10 thousand euros. That is, 0.05% of the maximum fine provided for by sector regulations for this type of violation: 20 million euros.”
Conclusion
The case of the Riviera hotel is an important reminder for all businesses that use email sending tools: compliance with privacy regulations not only protects against sanctions, but also strengthens customer trust. Making sure you always obtain and document consent is an essential practice for operating ethically and legally.
And so you avoid the Ghost Holidaymaker who honestly, after paying €10,000 in fines, is a little scary:
For more details, you can read the full article here.
