1:"$Sreact.fragment"
8:I[96237,["/_next/static/chunks/12b9~mg3o6lnh.js","/_next/static/chunks/0xs8ni7jz0o1p.js"],"OutletBoundary"]
9:"$Sreact.suspense"
2:Ta76,{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://mailshade.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Guides","item":"https://mailshade.org/guide/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Are email tracking pixels legal?","item":"https://mailshade.org/guide/are-email-tracking-pixels-legal/"}]},{"@type":"Article","headline":"Are email tracking pixels legal?","description":"Email tracking pixels sit in a legal grey area under GDPR and ePrivacy rules. Here is what the law says about consent — and how to block trackers regardless.","inLanguage":"en","image":"https://mailshade.org/og/guide/are-email-tracking-pixels-legal.png","mainEntityOfPage":"https://mailshade.org/guide/are-email-tracking-pixels-legal/","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Mailshade","url":"https://mailshade.org"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Mailshade","url":"https://mailshade.org"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Are tracking pixels illegal under GDPR?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Not automatically, but covert open-tracking without informed consent is legally risky under GDPR and ePrivacy rules, since loading the pixel can count as accessing data on the recipient's device. Lawfulness hinges on consent and disclosure."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is email tracking legal in the United States?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"There is no specific US federal law banning tracking pixels, and CAN-SPAM regulates sending practices rather than tracking. In practice they are widely used, which is why receiver-side blocking is the reliable protection."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Does blocking a tracking pixel break any law?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Choosing not to load a remote image in your own inbox is generally your decision. Mailshade cancels requests to known tracker-pixel domains on your device. This is general information, not legal advice."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I prove a sender tracked me?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Mailshade records detected tracker occurrences per sender in local IndexedDB, with tracker URLs reduced to origins and opaque message context retained. It is a personal detection history, not proof that every signal was blocked or legal evidence."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How much does Mailshade cost?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Core protection remains free after a 14-day Pro trial. Paid Pro starts at $3.99 per month or $19 one-time. The source is open under AGPL-3.0 at mailshade.org/source/."}}]}]}0:{"rsc":["$","$1","c",{"children":[["$","main",null,{"className":"container-x py-16","children":[["$","script",null,{"type":"application/ld+json","dangerouslySetInnerHTML":{"__html":"$2"}}],["$","article",null,{"className":"prose prose-ink max-w-none","children":[["$","h1",null,{"children":"Are email tracking pixels legal?"}],["$","p",null,{"className":"text-lg text-ink-200","children":"Email tracking pixels sit in a grey area rather than being clearly legal or illegal, and the answer depends on jurisdiction and context. Under EU privacy rules, covert tracking can raise consent and transparency issues; the US has no single federal ban on pixels. Receiver-side protection is one practical option: after client opt-in, Mailshade uses declarativeNetRequest to cancel requests to known tracker-pixel domains across six web clients, so those requests send no open signal. This guide summarizes the consent question and is not legal advice."}],"$L3","$L4","$L5"]}]]}],null,"$L6"]}],"isPartial":false,"staleTime":300,"varyParams":null,"buildId":"mailshade-static-v1"}
7:T48d,<h2>The consent question</h2><p>GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive treat reading or writing data on a user's device as requiring consent. A tracking pixel that fires on open, profiling the recipient, is the kind of processing regulators have flagged when it happens without disclosure. Whether a given pixel is lawful turns on consent and transparency, which most marketing email lacks.</p><h2>Regional differences</h2><ul><li><strong>EU / UK:</strong> covert open-tracking without consent is legally risky for senders.</li><li><strong>US:</strong> no specific federal ban; CAN-SPAM governs sending, not pixels.</li><li><strong>Elsewhere:</strong> varies; many regimes follow the GDPR consent model.</li></ul><h2>Why blocking is the practical answer</h2><p>Legality is contested and enforcement is patchy, so receiver-side protection is useful. Mailshade uses DNR to block requests to known tracker-pixel domains and keeps its detection history in local IndexedDB; core inbox history is not transmitted to Mailshade servers.</p><h2>This is not legal advice</h2><p>Rules change and depend on jurisdiction; treat the above as general background, not a legal opinion.</p>3:["$","div",null,{"dangerouslySetInnerHTML":{"__html":"$7"}}]
4:["$","section",null,{"className":"mt-12","children":[["$","h2",null,{"children":"FAQ"}],[["$","details","0",{"className":"my-3","children":[["$","summary",null,{"className":"font-medium","children":"Are tracking pixels illegal under GDPR?"}],["$","p",null,{"className":"mt-2","children":"Not automatically, but covert open-tracking without informed consent is legally risky under GDPR and ePrivacy rules, since loading the pixel can count as accessing data on the recipient's device. Lawfulness hinges on consent and disclosure."}]]}],["$","details","1",{"className":"my-3","children":[["$","summary",null,{"className":"font-medium","children":"Is email tracking legal in the United States?"}],["$","p",null,{"className":"mt-2","children":"There is no specific US federal law banning tracking pixels, and CAN-SPAM regulates sending practices rather than tracking. In practice they are widely used, which is why receiver-side blocking is the reliable protection."}]]}],["$","details","2",{"className":"my-3","children":[["$","summary",null,{"className":"font-medium","children":"Does blocking a tracking pixel break any law?"}],["$","p",null,{"className":"mt-2","children":"Choosing not to load a remote image in your own inbox is generally your decision. Mailshade cancels requests to known tracker-pixel domains on your device. This is general information, not legal advice."}]]}],["$","details","3",{"className":"my-3","children":[["$","summary",null,{"className":"font-medium","children":"Can I prove a sender tracked me?"}],["$","p",null,{"className":"mt-2","children":"Mailshade records detected tracker occurrences per sender in local IndexedDB, with tracker URLs reduced to origins and opaque message context retained. It is a personal detection history, not proof that every signal was blocked or legal evidence."}]]}],["$","details","4",{"className":"my-3","children":[["$","summary",null,{"className":"font-medium","children":"How much does Mailshade cost?"}],["$","p",null,{"className":"mt-2","children":"Core protection remains free after a 14-day Pro trial. Paid Pro starts at $3.99 per month or $19 one-time. The source is open under AGPL-3.0 at mailshade.org/source/."}]]}]]]}]
5:["$","nav",null,{"aria-label":"Related pages","className":"mt-12","children":[["$","h2",null,{"children":"Related"}],["$","ul",null,{"children":[["$","li","/guide/how-email-tracking-works/",{"children":["$","a",null,{"href":"/guide/how-email-tracking-works/","children":"How email tracking works"}]}],["$","li","/guide/how-to-block-email-tracking/",{"children":["$","a",null,{"href":"/guide/how-to-block-email-tracking/","children":"How to block email tracking"}]}],["$","li","/compare/email-tracker-blocker-open-source/",{"children":["$","a",null,{"href":"/compare/email-tracker-blocker-open-source/","children":"Open-source email tracker blocker"}]}]]}]]}]
6:["$","$L8",null,{"children":["$","$9",null,{"name":"Next.MetadataOutlet","children":"$@a"}]}]
a:null
