Difference between email contacts added manually (with explicit permission) & those added via form?

[PeterT]

For background, I am thankful for the detailed page distinguishing implied consent vs explicit consent, but my question is in the practice of obtaining explicit consent for emails added to Constant Contact.

I am told having people sign up through online forms is the gold standard, but is there any issue with inputting emails manually after receiving explicit, written permission, say with a physical sign-up form? Do emails sent distinguish between the two at all? Is email input source part of the equation for assessing validity of an email from the client's side? 

[William_A · Accepted solution]

Hello @PeterT ,

The difference between Express and Implied has more to do with GDPR and CASL compliance. If a contact writes their email address on a physical sign-up sheet, then that would indicate an expressed interest, even if it wasn't included among the examples in the permission policy article linked.

If your account requires a list review, or an account review, then the difference between implied and expressed will come into play, based on the contacts' source and your own records. If you're particularly concerned about your contacts' permissions, it may be best to speak directly with our review team.