Email, and what the law requires

Checked at the moment of sending

Not when the draft is written. A draft can be edited before you approve it, and somebody deleting the footer because it looked like clutter must not be able to send a non-compliant email by accident.

What is refused

• An email with no subject line.
• A subject implying a conversation that has not happened, such as "Re: our call" or "As discussed".
• Anything without a working unsubscribe link.

When somebody asks you to stop

They go on your do-not-contact list, and it covers every way of reaching them rather than only the one they used. Somebody who says "stop emailing me" has not asked to be messaged on LinkedIn instead.

Anything already drafted or approved for them is cancelled immediately, and the request never expires. Somebody who asked to be left alone years ago still means it.

Unsubscribes and the do-not-contact list in the help centre