Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation - Myths And Misconceptions

Over the past months, I have been writing, lecturing and advising on Canada's anti-spam legislation (CASL). In discussing the legislation, I have encountered many myths and misconceptions about CASL and its implications. This is not surprising. The legislation and accompanying regulations create a complex and often confusing regulatory regime that contains more questions than answers.

In an effort to debunk some of those myths and misconceptions, I will address some of the more common ones:

Myth #1: CASL only applies to "Spam"

Because it is commonly referred to as "Anti-Spam Legislation", there is a broad misconception that CASL only applies to spam emails, like those sent by a Nigerian prince offering opportunities to invest in his business scheme.