Canada’s federal communications regulator has issued its first two bulletins laying out guidelines for anti-spam laws.
The biggest new rule is designed to stop businesses from assuming aconsumer has opted in to an offer or given their implied consent. Forexample, businesses will be prohibited from sending out messages with abox already checked to give consent to receive further messages. Suchmessages require the recipients to ‘uncheck’ the box or else automatically consent toreceiving further communications.
The CRTC’s new guidelines make itmuch tougher for businesses to assume consumers have ‘opted in’ toreceiving unsollicited messages. (Photo: Shutterstock)
To make sure that doesn’t happen, the Canadian Radio-television andTelecommunications Commission (CRTC) Wednesday that businesses andorganizations must get consumers to physically approve receivingcommercial messages on PCs, tablets and smartphones. Any messages thatdon’t follow the rules will be deemed illegal spam.
The government’s anti-spam law was approved in December 2010 but isexpected to come into effect next year. The CRTC said it will issuefurther guidelines later.
As covered by ITBusiness.ca previously, the law has been called thetoughest anti-spam legislation in the world and has raised someconcerns that it puts an undue burden on companies –particularly SMBs– trying to get their marketing messages out to potential customers.
Source | CRTC
