On July 1, 2014, Canada enacted anti-spam legislation (CASL) designed to protect Canadians’ electronic transmissions while ensuring Canadian businesses could remain competitive in the global marketplace.

In short, CASL prohibits the:

• Sending of commercial electronic messages without the recipient’s consent (permission), including messages to email addresses, social networking accounts, and text messages to cellular phones,
• Alteration of transmission data in an electronic message which results in the message being delivered to a different destination without express consent,
• Installation of computer programs without the express consent of the owner of the computer system or its agent, such as an authorized employee,
• Use of false or misleading representations online in the promotion of products or services,
• Collection of personal information through accessing a computer system in violation of federal law (e.g. the Criminal Code of Canada), and
• Collection of electronic addresses via computer programs, or use of such addresses without permission (address harvesting).

More information regarding CASL can be found here. It’s important to be aware of – and compliant with – these rules, to ensure seamless business communications with Canadian partners.

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