New Anti Spam Legislation

Updated March 2, 2025

From Our Northern Cousins

Canada officially rolled out new Anti Spam Legislation, effective on July 1st. This is noteworthy for those businesses who have clients or prospects located in Canada. It will affect how you electronically promote your services especially via email marketing, social media or instant messaging.  In this post we’ll recap the Canada’s new anti spam legislation and how to make sure your business is compliant.

Quick Look at Canada’s New Anti Spam Legislation

Canada’s Anti Spam Legislation has been in the works since 2010. Enforcement began on Tuesday, July, 2014 for commercial electronic messages (CEM). It’s meant to protect Canada’s from unwanted emails, social media posts or instant messages. Specifically, the law:

• Prohibits commercial electronic message from being sent to Canadian recipients without their permission.
• Includes all types of electronic messages like email, social networking accounts, text messages sent to cell phones.
• Bans the installation of computer programs without prior consent
• Outlaws address harvesting, collection of personal information via computer programs without permission.

Three Canadian governmental agencies will enforce the new anti spam legislation. The law not only targets spam but also other electronic threats to commerce (e.g., the alteration of transmission data). This new Anti Spam Legislation is very complex. If your business markets to Canada, we recommend studying the law, its implications and potential fines in more depth. Fightspam.gc.ca provides a comprehensive overview and detailed FAQ.

Do you think Canada is leading edge? Or, is it just legislating good manners like asking permission before sending something?