Can Spam Act v. CASL

The Can Spam Act and the Canadian Anti-Spam Law (CASL) are two pieces of legislation that should be known by email marketers and are important to consider throughout all email marketing endeavors.

There are similarities and differences between these two acts.  The major difference between the two would be that the Can Spam Act states that the email needs to have an opt-out option where as the CASL not only needs to have an opt-out option but users need to have opted in exclusively to these emails.  In contrast, Can Spam Act allow email marketers to send to lists that have been purchased while regulating these emails in an attempt to build reputation and stay off the blacklist. [You can check out my previous blog on How to Stay off the Blacklist to get pointers on what to include in your email. (http://kobemail.wordpress.com/2011/07/)]

The CASL does not regulate bulk mailings in fact they prohibit commercial email altogether. Users must opt in exclusively to receive emails, otherwise they can not be emailed to by any marketer at any time.  This does not just apply to emails but to text and social media outlets as well.  

As you can see, CASL in general is stricter than the Can Spam Act. If you are going to send emails outside of the United States knowing the regulations and laws is vital to abide by the proper regulations to avoid any fines.

Author: Amarilys Rivera
Editor: Caitlin Durand