Canada’s anti-spam legislation
Introduction
On July 1, 2014, key provisions of Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL) came into force.
CASL is known as Canada’s law on spam and other electronic threats.
The responsibilities for enforcing CASL are shared among the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC), the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the federal Competition Bureau.
CASL included updates to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), making the OPC responsible for enforcing two types of violations:
- the harvesting of electronic addresses, in which bulk lists of email addresses are compiled through mechanisms that include the use of computer programs to automatically mine the Internet for addresses; and
- the collection of personal information through illicit access to other people’s computer systems, primarily through means such as spyware.
Find information on:
How organizations can comply with the OPC’s responsibilities under CASL
- Guide: Anti-spam law’s changes to Canadian federal privacy law: A guide for businesses doing e-marketing
- Tip sheet: Anti-spam law’s changes to Canadian federal privacy law: Helpful tips for businesses doing e-marketing
How individuals can protect their personal information against spam-related threats
- Tip sheet: Top 10 tips to protect your inbox, computer and mobile device
- Internet Threats
- Protecting Yourself from Spam
Commissioner's Findings
Find out what other organization are responsible for
The CRTC is responsible for investigating the sending of unsolicited commercial electronic messages, the alteration of transmission data and the installation of software without consent.
The Competition Bureau will address false or misleading representations and deceptive marketing practices in the electronic marketplace.
To learn about Canada’s new anti-spam legislation, please visit www.fightspam.gc.ca.
Frequently Asked Questions
Other resources
- Announcement: New international agreement enables joint action against unsolicited calls and electronic messages
June 14, 2016 - Announcement: PIPEDA amendments broaden powers of Privacy Commissioner
April 28, 2011 - Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation, Coordination and Information Sharing
January 23, 2014