Be Prepared for the Next Phase of the Canadian Anti-Spam Law

Back in December 2010, Canada passed a sweeping anti-spam law that entered into force on July 1, 2014. The super-short version of the law that’s important to our Canadian printers is this: Before sending any electronic messages, you are required to have the consent (permission) of the recipient. (Note that “electronic messages” means more than email; it also includes messages sent to social networking accounts and text messages sent to a cell phone.) At this point, you may be thinking, “It’s 2017, and this is old news. Why are you telling me this now?” Well, although you may already be aware of the law, what you may not be aware of is that this new law is wrapping up a “breaking in” period of three years, with the full force of the law taking effect this summer. Starting July 1, 2017, individuals or organizations affected by those violating the law will be able to pursue court actions to seek actual and statutory damages (up to $1 million for individuals, and $10 million for business). Some Quick Tips To make sure you’re prepared, here are some quick tips to help you navigate Canada’s anti-spam law: If you obtained express consent from your recipient before the law went into effect

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