This document outlines the mandatory policies and compliance requirements for all users of our platform when engaging in email communication. These policies are designed to protect our collective sender reputation, ensure high deliverability standards for all users, and comply with international legal frameworks. Adherence to these guidelines is non-negotiable.
1. Our Platform Policies: Mandatory Rules for All Users
These policies are specific to our platform and represent stricter requirements than some legal minimums. They are enforced to maintain the integrity and reputation of our sending infrastructure for the benefit of all users.
Strictly Prohibited: Cold / Unsolicited Emails: Our platform strictly prohibits the sending of any unsolicited commercial electronic messages, commonly known as "cold emails." All recipients must have explicitly opted in to receive communications. Any attempt to send emails to individuals without prior, verifiable consent is a violation of this policy.
Zero Tolerance for Spam and Phishing: The transmission of spam (unsolicited bulk email) or phishing attempts (emails designed to fraudulently acquire sensitive information) is strictly forbidden. Accounts engaging in such activities will be immediately suspended.
Prohibited Content: Users are prohibited from sending emails that contain gambling-related content, adult-oriented material, illegal products or services, or any content deemed illegal in applicable jurisdictions. This broad prohibition extends to content that promotes hate speech, violence, discrimination, or infringement of intellectual property rights.
Bounce Rate Threshold: Users are required to maintain a bounce rate below 5% for all campaigns. High bounce rates indicate poor list quality and negatively impact sender reputation.
Complaint Rate Threshold: Users must maintain a complaint rate below 0.1% for all campaigns. A high complaint rate signals that recipients are receiving unwanted emails, severely damaging sender reputation.
Engagement Rate Standards: Users are expected to maintain industry-average engagement rates (opens, clicks) on their email campaigns. Consistently low engagement indicates that emails are not desired by recipients and can lead to deliverability issues across the platform.
Sanctioned Entities and Countries: Domains, businesses, or individuals promoted or targeted through our platform cannot be associated with countries or entities sanctioned by the United States government or other relevant international bodies.
2. Legal & Regulatory Compliance: Global Mandates
In addition to our platform policies, all users must comply with applicable regional and international anti-spam and data privacy laws.
CAN-SPAM Act (United States):
Accurate Sender Information: All "From," "To," "Reply-To," and routing information must be accurate and identify the sending entity.
Truthful Subject Lines: Subject lines must accurately reflect the content of the email.
Disclosure of Advertising: Commercial emails must clearly indicate that they are advertisements.
Physical Address Inclusion: A valid physical postal address for the sender must be included in every commercial email.
Functional Opt-Out Mechanism: A clear and conspicuous mechanism for recipients to opt out of future emails must be provided, and all opt-out requests must be honored within 10 business days. Opt-out processes must be free of charge.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation - European Union): Applies to processing personal data of individuals within the EU.
Explicit Consent: All marketing emails sent to EU individuals require clear, affirmative, and explicit consent. Pre-checked boxes or implied consent are insufficient.
Data Transparency: Senders must inform individuals about what data is collected, how it will be used, and for how long.
Right to Withdraw Consent: Individuals must have an easy means to withdraw consent (unsubscribe) at any time.
Right to Access/Erasure: Individuals have rights to access their personal data and request its deletion.
Data Breach Notification: Data breaches involving personal data must be reported to supervisory authorities within 72 hours where required.
Data Minimization: Only necessary data for the stated purpose should be collected.
CASL (Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation): A stringent law requiring explicit consent for sending Commercial Electronic Messages (CEMs) to individuals in Canada.
Explicit Consent: Prior, express consent is mandatory before sending CEMs.
Sender Identification: The sender must be clearly identified in the CEM.
Contact Information: Valid contact information for the sender must be included.
Unsubscribe Mechanism: A functional unsubscribe mechanism must be present in every CEM.
Australia Spam Act 2003: Requires consent (express or inferred), clear sender identification, and an unsubscribe facility for commercial electronic messages.
FTC Endorsement Guides (United States - for Affiliates & Endorsements):
Clear Disclosure: Any material connection between an endorser (e.g., affiliate marketer) and a product/service provider must be clearly and conspicuously disclosed.
Truthful Representation: Endorsements must reflect the honest opinion and experience of the endorser.
3. General Global Compliance Practices
Privacy Policy Linkage: A link to a current, comprehensive privacy policy must be included in all marketing emails.
Clear Sender Identification: The identity of the sending business must be unambiguous in all communications.
Universal Opt-Out Processing: All unsubscribe requests, regardless of regional origin, must be processed promptly and effectively by automated systems.
Data Security: Robust measures must be in place for the secure storage of personal data and consent records.
Consent Record-Keeping: Detailed records documenting when, how, and for what purpose each subscriber provided consent must be maintained.
Children's Data Protection: Enhanced caution and compliance with specific regulations (e.g., COPPA in the US) are required when handling data pertaining to children.
Continuous Legal Review: Users are responsible for continuously reviewing and complying with all specific email and data privacy laws in every country or region to which emails are sent, as regulations are subject to change.
Conclusion
Adherence to these platform policies and legal compliance requirements is paramount for maintaining a healthy email ecosystem for all users. Failure to comply may result in suspension or termination of service. By upholding these standards, we collectively ensure optimal deliverability, protect sender reputations, and foster trust within the email marketing community.