OTTAWA-GATINEAU — The CRTC is getting a new partner in its fight against spammers and telemarketing pests with the announcement the Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office to combat commercial electronic messages and unwanted telemarketing calls.
The partnership between the two countries will promote close cooperation and a coordinated approach to enforcing spam and telemarketing laws in both jurisdictions to limit the amount of unsolicited emails and nuisance calls received by Canadian and U.K. residents, the CRTC said in a news release on Thursday.
As part of the agreement, both agencies agree to share information and provide investigative support, upon request and in accordance with the law. The memorandum of understanding provides for research and education opportunities, as well as staff exchanges and joint training initiatives for both parties.
“Today the CRTC is taking another step to boost its international engagement and its efforts to combat the threat posed by spam and unsolicited calls to citizens of Canada and the United Kingdom. This partnership we have formed with the United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office further enhances our expertise and ability to ensure that applicable laws are respected,” said Judith LaRocque, chairperson and CEO of the CRTC, in the news release.
The CRTC has entered into similar bilateral agreements with the United States Federal Trade Commission, the United States Federal Communications Commission, the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
In June 2016, the CRTC along with 11 other international agencies entered into an agreement to fight both unlawful spam and unsolicited telecommunications, as members of the Unsolicited Communications Enforcement Network whose mandate is to facilitate and support cross-border investigations.
Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL) prohibits the sending of commercial email without the consent of the recipient, as well as online threats, such as phishing, malware and botnets. Under the CRTC’s Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules, telemarketers must meet certain requirements when making robocalls and are not permitted to call Canadians whose telephone number is registered on the National Do-Not-Call List.
