Privacy — Anti Spam
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Spam
Defined
You cannot send unsolicited electronic messages in bulk without complying with the requirements of the act.
As a shop owner, you often have the opportunity to collect and use your customers’ email addresses whether it's through a purchase they made or by joining your email newsletter.
In fact, when it comes to driving sales, email marketing is still one of highest converting sales channels.
The government in Singapore has addressed privacy issues associated with this by implementing the Spam Control Act in 2007. If you’re not compliant with this legislation, you put yourself at risk of suffering serious financial harm and could be sued.
Legal Guide Notable Info
Useful Definitions
CEM
A commercial electronic message whose purpose is to sell or promote your company, goods or services.
Unsolicited
A message is unsolicited when the receiver did not consent or request that communication.
Sending in Bulk
Means that you have sent more than 100 messages within 24 hours, 1000 within 30 days, or 10,000 over a one-year period.
Legal Guide Notable Info
Avoid Spamming
Requirements
(i) Unsubscribe — Every unsolicited message must have a clearly placed link or e-mail address to allow the receiver to unsubscribe.
(ii) Labeling — Every message must be clearly labeled as advertising. Putting "<ADV>" in the subject field satisfies this requirement.
(iii) Content Requirements — The subject field and header must not be misleading, and the message must contain a working e-mail or telephone number.
Sending e-mails to customers is a great way to keep them informed and up to date about your products and offers.
These sorts of communications are defined as "commercial electronic messages," or CEMs for short.
Potentially problematic messages range from emails telling customers about a new sale to offering unsolicited business opportunities.
The law doesn’t ban these messages, but it does require that you (the sender) provide certain features and information in the messages you send.
Complying with this law will allow you to maximize your contact list as a means of marketing, while ensuring that your communications are legal.
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