Canada: FISA Act

The Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act (FISA) was passed by the Government of Canada in December, 2010. Under this new anti-spam bill, marketers and commercial enterprises have to have the consent of recipients before sending them any unsolicited electronic messages. Stricter than the US CAN-SPAM law, which requires that senders include an opt-out method in all commercial emails, the Canadian law requires an opt-in. The new rules are broad, covering all personalized electronic messages, including email, text, or any other future means of communication which may be developed. It aims to prohibit spam and deter online fraud, including identity theft, phishing, and spyware. It applies to non-for-profit companies as well as commercial enterprises and penalties for violations may be up to $1 million for an individual and up to $10 million for an organization, depending on circumstances.