PRESS INFORMATION
For immediate release:
May 2003
SPAM:
CANNED – BUT AT WHAT
COST TO BUSINESS?
Manchester
law firm Wacks Caller
advises businesses on
implications of EU
Directive on Privacy
& Electronic
Communications
Forthcoming European
Union rules to limit the
number of unwanted
e-mails individuals
receive, are due to take
effect this October, but
leading Manchester law
firm Wacks Caller says
many businesses are
woefully unprepared for
the full implications of
the directive. The
directive is to be
implemented into UK
legislation by way of
The Privacy and
Electronic Communication
Regulations 2003.
Sarah Gwyndaf-Roberts,
IT specialist at Wacks
Caller explains: “The
draft Regulations make
the sending of
unsolicited e-mails to
personal e-mail
addresses an offence
without prior consent
– and companies who
fail to comply with the
directive could face
enforcement proceedings
from the Information
Commissioner including
but not limited to a
fine of up to £5000 per
offence. Personal
liability may also
attach to company
directors, managers
and/or secretary for
such offences.
“Few
companies are aware of
the Regulations and even
fewer are in a position
to implement it by the
deadline of October
31.”
“Businesses
need to be acutely aware
of the need for consent
from individuals when
sending unsolicited
e-mails. In
particular, the rules
will be changing from
‘opt-out’ to
‘opt-in’ which means
that people must
actively choose to
receive a communication
from a company by
ticking or clicking on a
box to show their
consent.”
The
legislation also tackles
the issue of cookies –
information retained by
a computer which
contains information
about the web pages
people have visited –
which are unique to each
user and return
information to the
source website without
the user knowing.
Some
people view cookies as a
breach of their right to
“privacy”, whilst
companies argue that
cookies merely form a
way of providing users
with a better, more
personalised online
experience.
“The
new directive requires
companies to clearly
identify cookies on
their website, giving
users the choice to have
their online activities
monitored or not by
disenabling such
cookies, Sarah
continued.
Forthcoming
European Union rules to
limit the number of
unwanted e-mails
individuals receive, are
due to take effect this
October, but leading
Manchester law firm
Wacks Caller says many
businesses are woefully
unprepared for the full
implications of the
directive. The
directive is to be
implemented into UK
legislation by way of
The Privacy and
Electronic Communication
Regulations 2003.
Sarah
Gwyndaf-Roberts, IT
specialist at Wacks
Caller explains: “The
draft Regulations make
the sending of
unsolicited e-mails to
personal e-mail
addresses an offence
without prior consent
– and companies who
fail to comply with the
directive could face
enforcement proceedings
from the Information
Commissioner including
but not limited to a
fine of up to £5000 per
offence. Personal
liability may also
attach to company
directors, managers
and/or secretary for
such offences.
“Few
companies are aware of
the Regulations and even
fewer are in a position
to implement it by the
deadline of October
31.”
“Businesses
need to be acutely aware
of the need for consent
from individuals when
sending unsolicited
e-mails. In
particular, the rules
will be changing from
‘opt-out’ to
‘opt-in’ which means
that people must
actively choose to
receive a communication
from a company by
ticking or clicking on a
box to show their
consent.”
The
legislation also tackles
the issue of cookies –
information retained by
a computer which
contains information
about the web pages
people have visited –
which are unique to each
user and return
information to the
source website without
the user knowing.
Some
people view cookies as a
breach of their right to
“privacy”, whilst
companies argue that
cookies merely form a
way of providing users
with a better, more
personalised online
experience.
“The
new directive requires
companies to clearly
identify cookies on
their website, giving
users the choice to have
their online activities
monitored or not by
disenabling such
cookies, Sarah
continued.
-ends-
Notes
to editors:
If you require further
information on the
implications of the
proposed legislation
please contact Sarah
Gwyndaf-Roberts at
sgwyndaf-roberts@wackscaller.com
For more information, please contact:
Dave
Gort or Megan Codling at
Cicero
telephone
0161
876 5522
E-mail
dag@cicero-marketing.co.uk
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