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PECR vs GDPR: what’s the difference for B2B marketing?

The differences between PECR & GDPR for B2B marketing

Under the The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), if you’re going to send digital communications, you need to be careful of who you’re sending them to.


If you’re sending to a consumer, you have to demonstrate that you have explicit consent to market to that particular consumer. However, with B2B communications the rules are a lot more relaxed. If the domain in an email address points to a limited company, then that’s a business address and you can send business communications to it.

Under GDPR, there are no such assumptions. If you’re processing data about business customers, you need one of those ‘legal bases’ for doing so. A communication that is fine under PECR may not hold up under GDPR. If you’re marketing to B2B customers, make sure you’re ready for the difference!