GATINEAU – The CRTC announced two numbered companies operating as 514-BILLETS, whose main business is concert and sporting event ticket resale, agreed to resolve their alleged violations of Canada's anti-spam legislation for $100,000.
An investigation launched by the CRTC's chief compliance and enforcement officer alleged that the companies failed to comply with various requirements of the legislation between July 2014 and January 2016, reads the Commission’s release. “During this period, the company allegedly sent text messages without the recipient's consent, without information identifying the person who sent the messages, and without information enabling the recipient to readily contact the sender.”
In recognition of the alleged violations, the companies have agreed to pay an amount of $75,000 in the form of $10 rebate coupons offered to 7,500 clients and have paid $25,000 to the Receiver General for Canada. This is the first time under the CASL rules that the CRTC has caught a company text-spamming.
In addition, to ensure that its future activities are fully compliant with Canada’s anti-spam legislation, the companies will put in place a compliance program and appoint an officer responsible for organizational compliance, added the release.
