Canada
Canada: CASL penalties run up to $10,000,000 per violation.
CASL asks for consent, express or implied, before a commercial electronic message goes out, and the message must identify the sender and carry an unsubscribe mechanism. PIPEDA's accountability principle covers a third party that processes your customers' data. Sources and dates are below.
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The rules that matter here
Marketing email, texts and calls
- CASL section 6(1): you may not send a commercial electronic message to an electronic address unless the recipient has consented (express or implied) and the message meets the Act's form requirements.[1]
- CASL section 6(2): the message must identify the sender and anyone on whose behalf it is sent, give contact information so the recipient can respond, and include an unsubscribe mechanism. Section 6(3): that contact information must be valid for at least 60 days after the message is sent.[1]
- CASL section 20(4): the maximum administrative monetary penalty for a violation is $1,000,000 for an individual and $10,000,000 for any other person.[2]
Personal data
- PIPEDA's accountability principle: an organization must use contractual or other means to ensure a third party processing personal information provides a comparable level of protection, and should be transparent about transfers to other jurisdictions.[3]
Time zone and language
Canada spans six standard time zones. Languages: English, French. Our own context, not a sourced rule.
What buyers here ask
Does CASL apply to a business that is not in Canada?
We have not confirmed CASL's reach to senders outside Canada, so we do not state it. If your recipients are in Canada, treat CASL as applying and get advice. Gonzo's systems honor opt-outs.
What do I have to put in a commercial message?
Under CASL section 6(2), the message must name the sender and anyone on whose behalf it is sent, give contact information, and include an unsubscribe mechanism. Section 6(3) keeps that contact information valid for at least 60 days after sending. All of this comes after you have consent.
What are the penalties?
Section 20(4) of the Act sets maximums of $1,000,000 for an individual and $10,000,000 for any other person, per violation.
Does GST/HST apply to a foreign vendor's invoice?
It can, depending on your GST/HST registration and how you use the service. We could not confirm the current CRA rules from a current CRA page, so we do not state them. Ask your accountant to check them.
If your team processes my customer data, who is responsible?
PIPEDA's accountability principle says you remain responsible and should use a contract to secure comparable protection. There is no processing agreement on file yet, but a person will confirm whether we can sign one, and on what terms.
These answers draw only on the sources listed on this page, last verified 2026-10-02.
Same on every market page: Prices (US dollars, fixed), WhatsApp opt-in rules, how this research is made. Prices stay in US dollars. Whether we can invoice in Canadian dollars is not confirmed, so ask on the Talk to us call.
Sources
- laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-1.6/page-1.html retrieved back
- laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-1.6/page-3.html retrieved back
- priv.gc.ca retrieved back
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Send one web address. In about five business days you get a short written report. If a system fits, a fixed-price scope follows.
Free audit, no accounts, we change nothing.
Or ask a person: aimarketing@gonzo.co.in +91 7390990227 WhatsApp