Canada Passes Anti-Spam Act

Canada, during the 3rd week of December 2010, eventually embraced an anti-spam law exclusively for its own, naming it FISA (Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act) after endorsing Bill C-28 that was first initiated on the floor of the Canadian Parliament during April 2009. So far, Canada had been a country within the G8 category that alone didn't have an anti-spam law. Gowlings.com reported this on December 20, 2010.

FISA, it's worth mentioning, takes care of all commercial e-mails or what's called spam. This very strong anti-spam act mandates businesses to acquire recipients' permission for opting-in prior to dispatching commercial and other e-mails, except when a commercial contract already exists.

Furthermore, FISA carries a provision against phishing too, which bars anyone, during a commercial venture, to change the content that's transmitted through an e-mail in order that that e-mail reaches a destination along with or other than the one which the sender specifies, devoid of the sender's explicit permission. Importantly, the permission has to be informed as well as workable, while a timely permission pulling out system too should be provided.

Moreover, alongside phishing and spam, FISA also bars an individual, during any commercial venture, to load software onto someone else's PC, alternatively use that software for dispatching an e-mail via that PC devoid of its owner's permission. Often the needed permission should be informed and explicit, as well as a workable along with timely permission pulling out system too should be given.

Remarking about the latest Bill, security specialists said it was a true triumph for Canada, while it ushered a fresh worldwide criterion for law against spam. But though the act wasn't a guarantee for the eradication of spam from people's mail boxes, it was certainly one positive and huge leap towards enabling both IT managers and consumers in warding off unsolicited junk e-mails.

Eventually, the latest Bill is set to be implemented during September 2011, providing organizations the greater part of 2011 for making sure they comply with the law. Violators could, however, be penalized with a maximum fine of $10m for enterprises and $1m for consumers.

Related article: Canada - A Major Stimulator of Spam, Says Cisco

» SPAMfighter News - 12/30/2010