The Direct Marketing Association on Feb. 4 released a list of guidelines for commercial e-mail solicitations and Website privacy policies. The guidelines are part of the DMA’s Guidelines for Ethical Business Practice and will be enforced by the organization’s Committee on Ethical Business Practice.
The guidelines require that marketing e-mails disclose, among other things, the marketer’s identity; a clear, honest, and nonmisleading subject line; and specific opt-out contact information. In addition, the marketer’s street address must be made available in the e-mail solicitation or by a link to its Website. Marketers must also “scrub” e-mail lists obtained through third-party marketers by use of the DMA’s e-Mail Preference Service suppression file.
The guidelines for members’ Websites include:
* the listing of the marketer’s information practices in a prominent place.
* details about the type of personally identifiable information collected and for what purposes, along with the ability for consumers to opt out.
* public self-certification or third-party verification and monitoring to demonstrate adherence with stated online practices.
* consumer redress through a physical address