Guide
Is B2B cold email legal in Italy? Article 130, quoted
Italian law asks for consent before email marketing and defines the person whose consent counts so that companies are included.
Short answer
Generally no. Article 130 of the Codice privacy allows commercial communication by automated means "con il consenso del contraente o utente" (with the consent of the subscriber or user), and paragraph 2 extends that to email [1] [2]. The Code defines the contraente as any natural person, legal person, body or association [3]. The text has no B2B exemption. The one exception is for your own customers [5].
General information, not legal advice, as of the date above. Where a regulator says its guidance is under review, we say so. If your situation is unusual, ask a lawyer who practises in that country.
The rule
Article 130(1): "l'uso di sistemi automatizzati di chiamata o di comunicazione di chiamata senza l'intervento di un operatore per l'invio di materiale pubblicitario o di vendita diretta o per il compimento di ricerche di mercato o di comunicazione commerciale è consentito con il consenso del contraente o utente" [1]. Our translation: the use of automated calling or communication systems without an operator, to send advertising or direct selling material, for market research or for commercial communication, is permitted with the consent of the subscriber or user.
Paragraph 2 brings email in: "La disposizione di cui al comma 1 si applica anche alle comunicazioni elettroniche, effettuate per le finalità ivi indicate, mediante posta elettronica, telefax, messaggi del tipo Mms (Multimedia Messaging Service) o Sms (Short Message Service) o di altro tipo" [2]. Our translation: the provision of paragraph 1 also applies to electronic communications made for those purposes by email, fax, MMS or SMS messages or other types.
Why "B2B" does not help
Article 121(1)(f) defines the contraente: "«contraente», qualunque persona fisica, persona giuridica, ente o associazione parte di un contratto con un fornitore di servizi di comunicazione elettronica accessibili al pubblico per la fornitura di tali servizi, o comunque destinatario di tali servizi tramite schede prepagate" [3]. Our translation: any natural person, legal person, body or association that is party to a contract with a provider of publicly available electronic communications services, or otherwise receives those services through prepaid cards. A company is a contraente, and nothing in article 130 exempts business recipients.
Italy also has a public opposition register, but paragraph 3-bis applies it only to marketing "mediante l'impiego del telefono e della posta cartacea" [4] (by using the telephone and paper mail). It gives no route to email.
The existing-customer exception
Paragraph 4 lets a business email its own customers without fresh consent: "se il titolare del trattamento utilizza, a fini di vendita diretta di propri prodotti o servizi, le coordinate di posta elettronica fornite dall'interessato nel contesto della vendita di un prodotto o di un servizio, può non richiedere il consenso dell'interessato, sempre che si tratti di servizi analoghi a quelli oggetto della vendita e l'interessato, adeguatamente informato, non rifiuti tale uso, inizialmente o in occasione di successive comunicazioni" [5]. Our translation: if the controller uses, for direct selling of its own products or services, the email address the person supplied when buying a product or service, it may not require consent, provided the services are similar to those sold and the person, properly informed, does not refuse that use, at the start or in later communications. It does not cover new prospects.
What every email must contain
Paragraph 5 bans promotional messages sent by "camuffando o celando l'identità del mittente" [6] (disguising or hiding the sender's identity), or "o senza fornire un idoneo recapito presso il quale l'interessato possa esercitare i diritti di cui" the GDPR's articles 15 to 22 [7] (or without providing a suitable contact point where the person can exercise the rights under). In short: say who you are, give a real way to reach you, and honour an objection at once.
Decision table
| Who you write to | Rule |
|---|---|
| A company or professional who consented | Allowed |
| A new prospect, address from their website | Consent needed first; no B2B exception in the text |
| Your own customer, similar services, informed and able to refuse | Allowed under paragraph 4 |
| Anyone who objected | Never again [8] |
What to do instead
- Leave Italian organisations out of cold email campaigns, or collect consent in a channel that allows it first.
- Reach them where they invite contact: a referral, an event, content they come to you for.
- Keep proof of consent: when, where and for what.
What we could and could not check
This page rests on the text of the Codice privacy as published on Normattiva, read on 1 October 2026. We tried to read the Garante's own guidance, and its site did not respond from our network, so we say nothing here about how the Garante applies article 130 to companies in practice.
How Honest Intros fits
Honest Intros shows warnings on German and Australian companies only. It has no Italian rule, so a campaign aimed at Italian organisations is your decision at approval. Each email carries your details and an unsubscribe link, and an opt-out stops all further email at once.
Questions
Is B2B cold email legal in Italy?
Generally no. Article 130 of the Codice privacy needs the consent of the contraente or utente for email marketing, the Code defines the contraente to include legal persons, and the text has no B2B exemption.
Can I email Italian companies without consent?
Not on the text we read. The only exception is for your own customers, using the address they gave when buying a similar product or service, if they are informed and do not refuse.
Does Italy's opposition register cover email?
No. Paragraph 3-bis applies the register to marketing by telephone and paper mail, so email marketing stays consent-based.
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