Canada’s New Anti Spam Laws
The Canadian Government is on the verge of implementing new anti spam legislation regulating commercial electronic communications. Commonly referred to as Canada’s Anti-Spam Law, or CASL, this legislation will come into force on July 1, 2014. The scope of the new laws are far-reaching, and the penalty provisions extraordinary. Since virtually all Canadians use electronic communications in one form or another, it is likely that this new legislation will directly affect you. With former educators on our team, we are please to help explain how these new laws will affect your business.
What CASL Legislates and Regulates
CASL regulates a number of areas of e-communications including sending emails without prior consent, putting misleading links in website or email text, collecting personal information through accessing others’ computer systems, and the installation of malware or spyware or viruses on others’ computers. For most Canadians who use email for work, the most relevant portion of the legislation is the sending of emails, or any commercial electronic messages, without consent, or without including the necessary information such as identifying oneself, and including an unsubscribe mechanism.
Penalties for Anti Spam Law Violations
The Anti Spam law legislation has set fines associated with CASL violations. At the extreme end, individuals can be charged up to $200 per day per message sent, up to a maximum of $1 million. For corporations, the numbers are even more staggering, with a maximum of $10 million per violation. In addition to the fines, the legislation also extends liability to employers for their employees’ actions, and also to corporate officers and directors under some circumstances.
All in all, CASL will be broad in its scope, and harsh in its penalties. It will affect the majority of Canadians in one way or another.
What you need to know about the new Anti Spam Laws
To learn more about the new anti spam law click here.
To learn more about what you can do to prepare for its implementation, click here.
Getting the Help You Need In Calgary
To date, our Canadian Anti Spam Legislation seminars have reached over 88,000 individuals. CASL is a Canadian federal anti spam law. This means that our lawyers can assist businesses across Canada. The Lawyers at Kahane Law Office can help with your CASL legal needs. CONNECT NOW. We can be reached toll-free at 1-877-225-8817 (or 403-225-8810 locally in Calgary, Alberta), or email us directly here.