CRTC Updates FAQS On Registered Charities Under CASL

On July 1, 2014, Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) came into force. For many organizations in the charitable and not-for-profit sector (collectively, NFPs), the road to compliance was and continues to be a challenge. In particular, questions surrounding the scope and applicability of the registered charities exemption have resulted in confusion and uncertainty for many NFPs. Last Friday, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued some much anticipated guidance in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on this issue.

BRIEF BACKGROUND

Designed as one of the most stringent anti-spam regimes in the world, CASL is expected to significantly change the e-communication landscape for organizations operating in the Canadian marketplace. Despite submissions made by members of the NFP sector to the government about the significant burden that CASL would impose on the sector, CASL does not contain a blanket exemption for the sector