Charitable purposes soft opt-in

This is the most significant change to charity marketing law in years, and the ICO’s own guidance took until April 2026 to arrive.

PECR reg.22(3A), inserted by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, applies where the sole purpose of the marketing is furthering the charity’s charitable purposes, the details were obtained in the course of the person expressing interest or offering support, and a simple free opt-out is offered at collection and in every message.

It applies only to contact details obtained on or after 5 February 2026. Existing supporters are not excluded forever — fresh engagement after that date, with the soft opt-in wording shown, brings them in. See marketing consent.