Summary
The European Union recently approved a law, popularized as a “ban on spam,” which in most situations requires companies to get the prior consent of individuals before sending them marketing communications by email. This “opt-in” approach contrasts with the “opt-out” requirement in the recent CAN-SPAM legislation in the United States. The following report sets out what the new EU rules are, and what U.S. companies based both inside the region and out should consider when complying with them.