Enforcing
Canada’s Anti-Spam
Legislation (CASL)
Actions carried out by the CRTC between
April 1, 2018 and September 30, 2018
Enforcement Highlights
514-Billets
$100,000 total compensation paid
CRTC staff launched an investigation after Canadians filed complaints with the Spam Reporting Centre (SRC) relating to text messages sent by 514-Billets. As part of an undertaking, 514-Billets agreed to pay $100,000 including consumer compensation.
Datablocks and Sunlight Media
$100,000 and $150,000 AMPs
The Chief Compliance and Enforcement Officer of the CRTC issued notices of violation that include administrative monetary penalties of $100,000 and $150,000 respectively, in relation to both companies’ involvement in the distribution of malicious software through online ads. The matter is now before the Commission for decision.
Enforcement Measures
- 2 Notices of Violation
- 1 Undertaking negotiated
- 10 Warning Letters
- 18 Notices to Produce
- 2 Preservation Demands
Administrative Monetary Penalties
Since CASL came into force in 2014, enforcement efforts have resulted in penalties totalling nearly $1.2 million. Of this amount, $568,000 has been paid as part of negotiated undertakings.Footnote 1
Complaints to the Spam Reporting Centre
Between April 1, 2018 and September 30, 2018
That’s over 5,000 per week.
Only 4,000 of these complaints were submitted using the online form, which represents only 3% of total complaints. The remainder of complaints were sent by email at spam@fightspam.gc.ca to the Spam Reporting Centre.
The CRTC encourages Canadians to use the Spam Reporting Center online form in order to collect as much information as possible.
Email spam is the #1 reason why people submit complaints and text message spam
continues to rise
Sources of spam
Based on complaints filed with the SRC
Long description:
- Email: 62%
- Text message (SMS): 28%
- Instant message (IM): 1%
- Unspecified: 9%
Lack of consent
is still the #1 reason
that triggers complaints
Reasons why Canadians complain
Based on complaints filed with the SRC
Long description:
- Lack of Consent: 54%
- Deceptive Marketing Practices: 26%
- Identification of Sender: 19%
- Software and Malware: 1%
Consent issues continue to represent the highest proportion of issues reported to the SRC.
A fifth of Canadians who submitted a complaint relating to consent continued receiving emails more than 10 business days after unsubscribing.
Outreach
The Compliance and Enforcement team made seven presentations to Canadian companies, associations and organizations to raise awareness about regulations.
Partnerships
The CRTC has forged many partnerships with organizations across the globe in order to better fulfill its mandate.
The CRTC is part of the Unsolicited Communications Enforcement Network (UCENET). The 30 members from across the globe promote international spam enforcement cooperation and address problems relating to spam and unsolicited telecommunications.
Agreements with International Partners
List of Memorandums of Understanding with organizations and countries.
Long description:
- USA: Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
- UK: Information Commissioner Office (ICO)
- NZ: Department of Internal Affairs
Useful Resources
Check out recent fraudulent activities uncovered by the RCMP.
Looking for cyber safety tips?
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