Say who you are. Give a way out.

The rule.

Verbatim extract, read on 4 November 2026 from the source below. Everything else on this page is NorthPoint’s plain-English reading.

What it requires.

• No disguising or concealing the identity of the sender on whose behalf the message is sent.
• A valid address to which the recipient can send a request to stop; no breach of Article 6 of the e-Commerce Directive (2000/31/EC), and no encouraging recipients to visit websites that breach it.

Who it applies to.

Anyone sending direct-marketing email to people in the EU, including on behalf of someone else (agencies, affiliates, list owners).

Common violations in marketing copy.

Non-compliant vs compliant.

The United Kingdom counterpart.

PECR reg. 23: no hidden sender, a valid opt-out address →

Side by side: Email marketing consent: EU ePrivacy vs UK PECR

Related rules.

• ePrivacy Art. 13(1): prior consent for marketing email →

  ePrivacy Directive Article 13(1) · European Union

• ePrivacy Art. 13(2): the EU soft opt-in for customers →

  ePrivacy Directive Article 13(2) · European Union

• PECR reg. 23: no hidden sender, a valid opt-out address →

  PECR regulation 23 · United Kingdom

• Every GDPR rule record →

  GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and the ePrivacy Directive 2002/58/EC.

Source.

This page is general, sourced information for marketing teams, not legal advice. The examples are written by NorthPoint to illustrate the rule; for a binding view on your own promotion, retain qualified counsel in the jurisdiction concerned.