Canada’s anti-spam legislation partners and links

Learn who Canada's key partners are when it comes to enforcing Canada's anti-spam legislation (CASL) and find links to further reading.

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CASL oversight and management partners

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is the national coordinating body for CASL. Its role is to:

  • promote awareness of the law
  • educate consumers, network operators and small businesses
  • coordinate work with the private sector
  • conduct research

The national coordinating body resides within the Management Framework Policy Branch (MFPB) at ISED. MFPB is responsible for monitoring the overall effectiveness of the regime.

ISED's Office of Consumer Affairs leads and coordinates consumer and business education and awareness of the law.

CASL enforcement agencies

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is Canada's broadcasting and telecommunications regulator. The CRTC has the primary enforcement responsibility under CASL, and investigates, takes action against and sets administrative monetary penalties for:

  • sending non-compliant commercial electronic messages, such as when a text or email is sent without prior consent
  • altering transmission data without express consent, such as when Internet users are directed to websites they didn't intend to visit
  • installing a computer program without express consent, such as when malware, spyware or viruses are installed alongside computer programs, hidden in spam messages or downloaded through links to infected websites

The Competition Bureau, as an independent law enforcement agency, ensures that Canadian businesses and consumers prosper in a competitive and innovative marketplace. CASL enables the Bureau to more effectively address false and misleading representations and deceptive marketing practices in the electronic marketplace, including false or misleading sender or subject matter information, electronic messages, and locator information, such as URLs and metadata.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada protects Canadians' personal information. It can enforce provisions with respect to 2 types of conduct:

  • collecting personal information by accessing a computer system or electronic device illegally
  • harvesting addresses (collecting and/or using email or other electronic addresses without permission)

Further reading about spam and related topics

Cooperation, coordination and information-sharing about CASL among partners

Canada's anti-spam legislation

Spam policy

Fraud reporting

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Get cyber safe

Canadian Centre for Cyber Security

Other Canadian and international resources