EMAIL MARKETING UPDATE: ANTI-SPAM LEGISLATION

As a follow up to our “Practical Guide to Email Marketing in 2012“ this post analyzes and explains recent revisions to Canadian rules about how people send commercial electronic messages to and within Canada. Additionally, we provide some information on how to protect yourself from hackers, phishers and spoofers.

The US is widely known in the email industry as having relatively lax email regulations. In late 2011, our neighbor to the north implemented a new set of regulations on those sending commercial email. These rules are now in full swing, so if you sell software online, and you like to promote your product through email, you need to take note of Bill C-28 from the Canadian Parliament.

Violating these rules while sending email to Canada, Canadians, computers located in Canada, or hockey players may result in considerable fines (up to $10 million per violation for corporations).

C-28, known as the “Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act”, or FISA if you’re into the whole brevity thing, went into effect in September 2011. The Canadian online protection law is very similar to CAN-SPAM so as an email marketing specialist, I felt it was important to highlight some differences in the two laws that will make you think twice before sending out your Monthly Mountie Digest. More