Many consumers prefer to use e-mail to receive information from the organization they are doing business with on new products, special offers, warranties, subscription renewals and newsletters. But the explosive growth of the Internet has resulted in e-mail inboxes being filled with unsolicited sales pitches and marketing promotions. Known as spam e-mail, these often annoying and sometimes offensive messages clog inboxes; waste time; and can cause you to miss legitimate e-mail offers from companies you already do business with.

CMA's 800 corporate members are banned from sending spam e-mail to acquire new customers. The Association's mandatory Code of the Ethics and Standards of Practice requires members to seek consent before sending commercial e-mail, unless a relationship already exists. Even where a customer relationship does exist, they must provide you with the online means to refuse further e-mail communications.

How is the Problem being Addressed?

Spam has officially been recognized as a problem in need of attention by government, business, leading Internet service providers or ISPs and the media.

Here in Canada, the federal government formed a task force in May 2004 to develop our country's spam action plan. The Canadian Marketing Association was one of only 10 members named to the task force. In the spring of 2005 the task force released its final report entitled Stopping Spam: Creating a Stronger, Safer Internet. Among the task force recommendations are calls for anti-spam legislation, as well as more rigorous enforcement, and the voluntary adoption of industry best practices by Internet service providers, network operators and e-marketers.

Distinguishing Spam from Legitimate E-mail

To help you determine if an e-mail is legitimate or if it's spam, remember:

• If you asked for it, it's not spam. Mass mailings of e-mails of a commercial nature are legitimate if you invited the communication by signing up for 'news' on certain topics or for offers of a particular kind.
• E-mail from friends is not spam. Forwarded messages from friends that ask you to send the message to 10 other people, although annoying, is not spam. If you know the person it's best to politely ask them to stop sending you forwarded e-mails.
• If you've signed up for a newsletter and no longer wish to receive it, just unsubscribe. Any legitimate organization will provide an easy way for you to be taken off their subscription list. However, be cautious when unsubscribing to a newsletter from an unknown organization. Some spammers masquerade as newsletters with "unsubscribe information" that can serve to confirm that your e-mail is valid and cause you to receive even more spam.

Other Links

For more information on blocking spam, check out www.stopspamhere.ca

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