Canada has suspended the implementation of the final phase of its Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) in response to concerns raised by businesses, charities and the nonprofit sector. CASL was enacted in 2013 to protect Canadians from receiving commercial e-mails without their consent, and most portions became effective in July 2015. The law’s final phase, which would have allowed lawsuits to be filed against individuals and organizations for alleged violations of the legislation, was due to go into effect on July 1.
“Canadians deserve to be protected from spam and other electronic threats so that they can have confidence in digital technology,” says Navdeep Bains, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and economic development. “At the same time, businesses, charities and other nonprofit groups should have reasonable ways to communicate electronically with Canadians. We have listened to the concerns of stakeholders and are committed to striking the right balance.”
The Canadian government has asked a parliamentary committee to review the legislation, in keeping with the existing provisions of CASL. Follow PPB Newslink for updates on CASL as they become available.
For background on the legislation, see PPB’s June issue. PPAI also hosted a webinar last month, “Storming The CASL—Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation,” which took a closer look at the expected regulations. An archived copy of the webinar can be found here.
