CASL : Java Glossary

CASL (Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation) is Canada’s antispam legislation that came into effect 2014-07-01. have to get explicit permission before they are allowed to send emails. Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL) does not apply to non-commercial activity. Political parties and charities that engage Canadians through email are not subject to CASL if these communications do not involve selling or promoting a product.

You have implied consent of your customers of the last two years, however, for others you have one shot to ask for consent. If you do not get it, you may not communicate again, ever! This covers more that bulk email. It also includes personal sales emails and newsletters.

I think they have overdone it. The big problem is offshore spam selling Viagra, or companies that send you a daily email you do not want. They could have done it simply by insisting all such email have an unsubscribe button you can hit when it gets too onerous. If someone sends you spam every six months, that is not too onerous. I am surprised the Harper government enacted this extreme legislation. Usually they are anti-consumer and pro-business.

So What’s Really Going On?

Only 2% of Canadian spam originates in Canada. Because the law has no effect on spam coming from the USA or overseas, the law will have only an imperceptible benefit to Canadian consumers. However, the law will hamstring charities and organisations like Greenpeace, the David Suzuki Foundation, the Sea Shepherd Society and Anti-Tar Sands groups. Silencing opposition to the Harper government with $5 million fines is the true purpose of this legislation.

A Flaw In The Law

I receive about ten times as much email as I have time to read. I am not talking about spam. I am talking about stuff I would find interesting or people writing me for help. If a company has only one shot to get permission to continue sending, the odds are pretty low I will notice that request. They will be blocked unintentionally. The spammers I find irritating are those that hit me more than once a week. Once a month or once a year is no problem.

How is business going to react?

• More telephone solicitors.
• more junk mail via Canada Post. More paper. More greenhouse gases.
• marketing from offshore.
• fake companies. One company to send spam for each day of the year.