Your simplified guide to SMS regulations and compliance in the UK
A good SMS marketing strategy in the UK starts with compliance.
SMS is a powerful marketing channel for UK brands. And, as they say, with great power comes great responsibility. If you want to send marketing texts to your UK customers, there are a few critical compliance requirements you should be aware of.
Just as we see for email, there are specific rules and requirements for sending marketing texts that keep brands accountable and customers safe.
Sending an unsolicited text message to your audience can result in fines and punitive action for breaching data protection laws for example. Plus, customers expect extra consideration from brands trying to reach them via such a personal channel.
Want to provide a compliant and memorable customer experience over text? You came to the right place.
Before I go on, a quick disclaimer: This guide should not be relied on as legal advice. Klaviyo encourages you to work with your legal counsel to make sure your SMS program is compliant with the laws that apply to it.
UK SMS compliance laws: an overview
In the UK, there are several organisations and regulations that influence SMS compliance laws:
- General Data Protection Regulation
- The Data Protection Act 2018
- Information Commissioner’s Office
- Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations
- Advertising Standards Authority
- Mobile networks
Each of these 6 regulatory powers have their own compliance requirements, some unique and some overlapping.
Sound like a lot to keep track of? There’s no way around it: SMS regulations in the UK are nuanced and can seem overwhelming.
Fortunately, we’ve collected a list of the main requirements you need to be aware of to keep everything straight.
Working with SMS providers with deep SMS compliance knowledge also helps—which is why over 8,000 brands rely on Klaviyo SMS.
Klaviyo builds local regulations into the platform to help you create smarter, already-compliant segments so you can focus on your customers, not ever-changing laws.
Regardless of what technology you use, having a solid understanding of what SMS compliance looks like in the UK helps you establish better, safer relationships with your customers.
5 key SMS compliance requirements in the UK
At a high level, to send marketing messages compliantly to UK recipients, brands must:
1. Get consent
Your recipients must give express written consent to receive SMS and/or display legitimate interests. All opt-in language must clearly convey what the subscriber is signing up for.
When collecting consent, brands must also include relevant links to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service that disclose what parties will have access to the data they’re sharing.
I’ll go into more detail on what qualifies as consent