Two steps, one clear choice
Double opt-in means subscribing in two steps. First, you enter your email address and agree to receive the newsletter. Then you receive an email asking you to confirm. Clicking its confirmation link completes the subscription. Until then, the request is waiting for confirmation; it has not become an active newsletter subscription.
Why typing an address is not enough
Anyone can type someone else's address into a form. A typo can also send a request to the wrong inbox. Confirmation reduces unwanted subscriptions because the person who submitted the form must also have access to that inbox. It is not a perfect identity check: someone who receives a mistaken request could still choose to confirm it.
What happens behind the scenes
After signup, the newsletter service sends a confirmation email with a link tied to that request. When the recipient follows the link, the service completes the subscription. Brevo offers a dedicated double opt-in flow for this process. A record of the request and confirmation helps demonstrate the subscriber's intent.
Confirmation and consent
Double opt-in is a good practice used to confirm the subscriber's intent. It is not the same thing as the legal rules on consent and email marketing. The CNIL explains those French rules, including how people must be able to object to further marketing. SIGNAL chooses to use double opt-in; this article does not claim that French law requires this particular two-step method.
You can change your mind
SIGNAL requires every newsletter edition to include a functioning unsubscribe mechanism. Confirmation does not lock you into future emails. Details about SIGNAL's handling of personal data are on its Privacy page; its Newsletter page explains how to subscribe.
Original sources
Sources checked 7 October 2026. Send a correction.