Canada’s Anti-Spam Law becomes effective July 1, 2014 & Applies to U.S. businesses directing Unsolicited Commercial Email to Canadians

On July 1, 2014 Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation becomes effective and will apply to U.S businesses sending Unsolicited Commercial Email to Canadians.

Unlike the U.S. Can-Spam Act which allows unsolicited commercial email (UCE) to be sent until the recipient opts out, the Canadian law requires that you get the recipients’ approval before sending any UCE to them. It also requires pre-approval for texts and cell phone messages.

The Canadian law also makes it illegal to download computer programs without the express consent of the recipient – Something U.S. law could use in a fight against those sites that download extortion type encryption programs.

If you are a sender of UCE, please be aware that you need to delete any Canadians in your lists. There are companies that can help you determine the locale of users if you cannot determine this on your own.