Online Spam War has been Officially Declared

Who hasn’t been beset with unwanted advertising e-mails in their inbox? Well ladies and gentlemen, from early 2012, the nightmare of so-called spam e-mails will be history! Indeed as of the entry into the face of new Canadian anti-spam legislation, it will no longer be possible for a business or individual to send even a newsletter to a potential customer unless they have prior explicit consent. Otherwise, the individual or the company behind the delivery (whether directly or by indirect means such as by sending sub-contractors) may be fined up to a whopping sum of $1-10 million. It is therefore strongly advised to contact current customers whom you exchange messages with, or who are on your mailing list, by the end of 2011 to have their explicit consent.

Canadian Government Cracks Down on E-marketing Abuse

Companies must adapt their online marketing very quickly to this change, which is critical to avoid extensive fines. In addition, the benefits of more targeted marketing will be beneficial to your brand image and your complete online marketing strategy.

This news raises many ethical questions regarding whether communication should be so tightly regulated. For instance, will this new legislation will act as a deterrent for small businesses and startups to enter the market? Will it impact particular industries more than others? If so, which ones? Will it impact stakeholders in such businesses?

With so many questions unanswered, it is difficult to envision a spamless future? Besides, won’t spam just evolve into a new form? For instance, text message spam. Or… Voicemail spam…