Sending commercial messages is regulated by Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). CASL came into effect in 2014 with a three year grace period when organizations could rely on implied consent in many situations. The rules around consent change on July 1, 2017. Time is running out to obtain express consent so you can continue to send commercial messages. If you are sending emails out to a mailing list, you should consider whether there is any commercial content, and whether you have consent to send those emails. An example of a commercial message would be promoting programs run by non-University organizations. 

The potential consequences for non-compliance are serious, including fines of up to $10 million.

For more examples, information about CASL, and details about how it applies to UPEI check here. If you are still unsure, contact the Chief Access to Information and Privacy Officer at pjwheatley@upei.ca