On: Canada obsoletes CAN-SPAM and replaces with an Opt-In system

[jws]

Summary: Canada passed an email law[1] with teeth. It applies to anyone sending email to a Canadian and takes effect in September.

(Still too long? Let's just call the Canadian law CAN'T SPAM.)

There are three tests, any of which will allow unsolicited commercial email.

• Existing relationship between sender and recipient. (purchase, contract, donor, volunteer, member)

• The recipient prominently publishes their email address and the mail is related to the recipient's professional capacity.

• Recipient signed up for it.

The law and its enforcement will begin to be explained in January.

[1] http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?La... the meat is in section 6, but notice it is written in an "exception" model. It seems a little insane until you get to the end of the section and catch the exceptions.

[nsavage → jws]

What happens if someone else signs someone up for commercial email? Who gets in trouble? Based on this, it seems like the company would.

[acangiano → nsavage]

Somebody else can't, short of hacking into their account. In Canada, you are forced to do double opt-in newsletter sign ups.

[tomjen3 → jws]

Exception 2 seems retarded - most people have their email on their webpage, but who the fuck wants to be contacted by a recruiter?

[dmix → tomjen3]

I wouldn't be depending on a government policy to protect my own privacy online.

Just like posting to Facebook, anything you post online is up for grabs whether it's malicious or not.

[tomjen3 → dmix]

Oh sure, but given that they would have to show who they are, it's a nice little after the fact thing.