Furthermore, Portugal has clear regulations concerning electronic marketing, largely guided by the EU's ePrivacy Directive. The Portuguese regulatory authority for communications, ANACOM, also addresses spam. Key aspects include:
Consent for Electronic Communications: Portuguese law generally requires prior consent for sending unsolicited commercial communications via electronic means, including SMS and automated calls, when targeting individuals. It is also an offense to seek prior consent through means that do not allow the recipient to opt-out or by automatically compiling information from public internet spaces (email harvesting) or by software.
B2B Cold Calling/Emailing: For B2B (business-to-business) interactions, cold calling or cold emailing is generally allowed if the number belongs to a legal entity (like a company) and they haven't previously opted out. If a business phone number is publicly published, it's generally considered fair game for relevant B2B outreach, belgium phone number library provided an opt-out mechanism is always offered.
No National Opt-Out/Do-Not-Call List: While Portugal does not have a centralized national "Do Not Call" or opt-out list specifically for telemarketing to individuals, the requirement for consent and the right to object under GDPR means individuals can effectively opt out by informing the sender.
Given this stringent regulatory environment, legitimate and compliant methods for obtaining phone numbers in Portugal for business or professional use include:
Official Business Directories (e.g., Páginas Amarelas, Editus): For B2B outreach, reputable online business directories are the most effective and legal resource. "Páginas Amarelas" (Yellow Pages) and Editus.lu (which also covers Portugal) are prominent online directories where businesses voluntarily list their public contact information, including phone numbers.