Compliance
On July 1, 2014, a new federal legislation called Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation ("CASL") came into effect.
This legislation applies to post-secondary institutions in Canada. CASL prohibits the sending of a commercial electronic message (CEM) without the receiver's consent. CASL aims to reduce the flow of unsolicited email/electronic messages or "spam."
CASL generally prohibits:
- sending of commercial electronic messages without the recipient's consent (permission), including messages to email addresses and social networking accounts, and text messages sent to a cell phone;
- alteration of transmission data in an electronic message which results in the message being delivered to a different destination without express consent;
- installation of computer programs without the express consent of the owner of the computer system or its agent, such as an authorized employee;
- use of false or misleading representations online in the promotion of products or services;
- collection of personal information through accessing a computer system in violation of federal law (e.g. the Criminal Code of Canada); and
- collection of electronic addresses by the use of computer programs or the use of such addresses, without permission (address harvesting).
CASL requires that CEM recipients give express or implied consent before a message is sent to them. CEM must identify the sender and the purpose of the message, and allow recipients to easily opt out of receiving future CEMs. CASL has serious financial penalties for non-compliance.
CASL compliance at Sheridan:
The core activities of Sheridan are generally educational and not commercial in nature, so CASL and its associated regulations may not necessarily apply.
To assist with CASL compliance for Sheridan employees, Sheridan developed a CASL Q & A document as well as a CASL Checklist to help you determine if the email you plan to send complies with CASL.
If your area requires assistance to send a mass email to your distribution list in order to obtain the "express consent" needed, you may wish to contact sheridanemail@sheridancollege.ca for assistance.
On January 15, 2015, new rules about installing computer programs came into force. It is now illegal to install programs, such as malware, on someone's computer without consent.
More information about CASL: