For any business engaging in phone number marketing that interacts with individuals in the European Union (EU), understanding GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is paramount, even if your operations are primarily based in Bangladesh. GDPR sets stringent rules for collecting, storing, and processing personal data, including phone numbers, impacting global businesses with EU customers.
The central tenet of GDPR is lawful basis for processing, with consent being a primary one for marketing activities. Under GDPR, consent must be:
Freely given: Not coerced or a condition for service.
Specific: Clearly state what the individual is consenting to (e.g., "SMS marketing," "promotional calls").
Informed: Explain who will process the data, what data will be processed, and for what purpose.
Unambiguous: A clear affirmative action (e.g., ticking a box, not pre-ticked).
Easily withdrawable: As easy to withdraw consent as it is to give it.
This means you cannot simply add a phone number to your marketing list because a customer made a purchase. They must explicitly opt-in for marketing communications. Furthermore, GDPR grants individuals several rights over their data, including the right to access, rectify, erase, and object to processing. Businesses must be phone number data prepared to honor these requests. While Bangladesh has its own evolving digital privacy laws, adhering to GDPR principles for any international customer base not only ensures compliance but also fosters a higher standard of data privacy and trust, which benefits all customer relationships.