New Guidance On Direct Marketing Issued By Data Protection Commission

The Data Protection Commission ("DPC") recently published an article on direct marketing which provides guidance to individuals on dealing with and opting out of direct marketing. In the article, the DPC remarks that it has received a significant number of queries recently in relation to marketing and it is in this context that the guidance has been released.

Direct marketing is governed by both the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") and the ePrivacy Regulations (SI 336/2011). The DPC's article looks at unsolicited direct marketing and advises individuals that any marketing material received by them should always include a valid address to which an "unsubscribe" request may be sent. The general rule for direct marketing is that it requires the affirmative consent of the recipient and the recipient may withdraw his or her consent at any time.