CASL and your email newsletter: a plain-English checklist
Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) applies to commercial emails, including most business newsletters. Penalties for businesses can reach $10 million per violation, but staying on the right side of it is mostly common sense. This is general information, not legal advice.
1. Have consent before you send
Express consent is the gold standard: the person actively agreed, for example by ticking an unticked checkbox on your signup form. Implied consent also exists, for example with an existing business relationship, but it expires: generally two years after a purchase or contract, and six months after an inquiry.
2. Do not buy or scrape lists
Bought, rented or scraped email addresses do not come with consent. Sending to them is the fastest way into trouble, and into spam folders.
3. Identify yourself in every email
Include your business name and a mailing address, plus a way to contact you (an email address, phone number or web address).
4. Make unsubscribing easy
Every message needs a working unsubscribe link, and requests must be honoured within 10 business days. Doing it instantly is better.
5. Keep records
Keep a record of how and when each person agreed, and who has unsubscribed, so you can show it if asked.
How Ravalak Newsletters helps
The signup form has a consent checkbox, every email includes your mailing address and a one-click unsubscribe that takes effect immediately, and unsubscribed people stay on record so they are never emailed again. Getting consent is still your part. See the newsletter plugin page.
