{"id":199145,"date":"2026-08-10T07:11:40","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T06:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?p=199145"},"modified":"2026-08-11T07:47:47","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T06:47:47","slug":"bulk-sms-gdpr-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/data-privacy-it\/bulk-sms-gdpr-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Considerations for Bulk SMS Marketing in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bulk SMS marketing in the UK is governed by the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003<\/em>, known as PECR. The Information Commissioner’s Office enforces it. Under PECR, a marketing text counts as electronic mail. You need consent before texting individual subscribers, a group that includes consumers, sole traders and certain partnerships, unless the soft opt-in applies. You do not need consent to text corporate subscribers. Every marketing text must identify your business and carry a working opt-out. Bulk SMS is cheap to run and quick to set up. Growth teams reach for it to clear stock, fill a launch list or bring lapsed customers back. The rules on who you may text, and on what basis, are tighter than most founders expect. This article explores key legal rules to be aware of if your business plans to send large-scale marketing texts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which Laws Apply to Your SMS Campaign<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two sets of rules that apply to a bulk SMS campaign. One is the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003<\/em><\/a>, known as PECR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You may also need to follow the UK General Data Protection Regulation<\/em> (UK GDPR) if your campaign uses personal data.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

PECR: The Main Rules for Marketing Texts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PECR is the main law for SMS marketing in the UK. It controls the sending of electronic marketing messages and protects people from unwanted texts and spam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under PECR, marketing text messages are treated as electronic mail. The electronic mail rules therefore apply to messages sent by SMS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where the UK GDPR Also Applies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If your business stores or uses personal data that identifies individuals as part of SMS campaigns, you are processing personal data. In that situation, you must comply with UK GDPR requirements when handling that data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practice you follow both. Review how you collect phone numbers, and how your messages will be sent, before any campaign starts. Fixing a consent problem in a list of 5,000 numbers takes an afternoon. Fixing it after 500,000 texts have landed does not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who You Are Texting: Individual and Corporate Subscribers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

PECR separates recipients into two groups for marketing messages: individual subscribers and corporate subscribers. Which group someone falls into changes what you must do before you press send.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Individual subscribers include consumers, sole traders and certain partnerships. Corporate subscribers include limited companies, limited liability partnerships and public bodies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Here are the four differences that matter before you send a marketing email or sms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the rule covers<\/strong><\/td>Individual subscribers<\/strong><\/td>Corporate subscribers<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
Who is in the group<\/td>Consumers, sole traders, certain partnerships<\/td>Limited companies, limited liability partnerships, public bodies<\/td><\/tr>
Consent before texting<\/td>Required in most cases, unless the soft opt-in applies<\/td>Not required under PECR<\/td><\/tr>
Identifying your business<\/td>Required in every message<\/td>Required in every message<\/td><\/tr>
Opt-out in every message<\/td>Required<\/td>Required<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A list of business numbers is not automatically a corporate list. Sole traders sit on the individual side. A database of tradespeople, freelance designers or single-operator clinics needs consent in the same way a consumer list does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Continue reading this article below the form\n <\/i>\n<\/a>\n

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