Is cold emailing legal?

Cold email exists in different legal contexts depending on where senders and recipients are located.

In the United States, CAN-SPAM permits unsolicited commercial email as long as it includes: accurate header information, non-deceptive subject lines, identification as advertising, physical postal address, and clear opt-out mechanism that's honored within 10 business days.

In the European Union, the combination of GDPR and ePrivacy Directive creates stricter requirements. Marketing to individuals generally requires consent. B2B rules vary by member state, with some allowing unsolicited business-to-business contact.

In Canada, CASL requires express or implied consent before sending commercial messages, with limited exceptions for business inquiries.

In the UK, PECR allows unsolicited email to corporate subscribers (generic business addresses) but requires consent for individual subscribers.

Legal compliance is necessary but not sufficient. Mailbox providers filter based on engagement and complaints, not legal frameworks. Technically legal email still lands in spam if recipients don't want it.