For any business in Bangladesh engaging in phone number marketing that interacts with individuals in the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), understanding and complying with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is non-negotiable. GDPR sets a high standard for collecting, storing, and processing personal data, including phone numbers, regardless of where the business is based.
The core of GDPR for marketing activities is lawful basis for processing, with consent being the most common for direct marketing. Under GDPR, consent must be:
Freely given: Not coerced or a condition for receiving a service.
Specific: Clearly state the exact purpose for bolivia phone number list processing the phone number (e.g., "SMS marketing for promotions").
Informed: Provide clear information on who is collecting the data, how it will be used, and the individual's rights.
Unambiguous: Require a clear affirmative action (e.g., an unticked checkbox). Implied consent is not sufficient for marketing.
Easily withdrawable: It must be as easy for an individual to withdraw their consent as it was to give it.
This means you cannot simply add a customer's phone number to a marketing list just because they made a purchase. They must explicitly opt-in for marketing communications. Furthermore, GDPR grants individuals significant rights, including the right to access, rectify, erase, and object to the processing of their data. For businesses in Bangladesh, while local privacy laws are developing, adherence to GDPR principles for any EU/EEA customer base not only ensures international compliance but also establishes a strong, trustworthy data handling practice that benefits all customer relationships.