Regulatory Resources
Privacy
On January 1, 2004, Canada's new privacy laws came into effect, changing the way all Canadian organizations handle commercial transactions and customer information. CMA has led the industry in privacy education to ensure that organizations are compliant with the new legislation.
The following chart compares key provisions of Canada's privacy and anti-spam legislation with two of the most comprehensive frameworks in the world, Europe's General Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into effect in May 2018 and the California Consumer Privacy ACt (CCPA), which is slated to take effect in July 2020.
Privacy Legislation Comparison Chart | CMA MEMBERS - DOWNLOAD 
Federal & Provincial Government Institutions
Federal Privacy Commissioner
Industry Canada
Alberta: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
British Columbia: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia
Manitoba: Office of the Ombudsman
New Brunswick: Office of the Ombudsman
Newfoundland: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories: Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia: Freedom of Information and Privacy Review Office
Nunavut: Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nunavut
Ontario: Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
Québec : La Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec
Saskatchewan: Information and Privacy Commissioner of Saskatchewan
Yukon: Ombudsman and Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Yukon
Regulations, Guidelines & Other Useful Information
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
Federal Privacy Commissioner's Guide for Canadian Businesses and Organizations
Federal Privacy Commissioner's Policy Position on Online Behavioural Advertising (OBA)
Ad Choices Program for Interest-based Advertising (or OBA)
Alberta: Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)
British Columbia: Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)
Québec: Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector
International Links
Australia: Federal Privacy Commissioner
EU & Non-EU: Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing
E-Marketing
Internet marketing continues to grow as a means of communication between organizations and existing and potential customers. CMA takes a leadership role in addressing issues such as spam and opt-in consent that impact this marketing channel.
Federal & Provincial Government Institutions
Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
Fraud Prevention Forum (Competition Bureau)
Regulations, Guidelines & Other Useful Information
Fight Spam
Task Force on Spam Presents Final Report to Federal Industry Minister (May 17, 2005)
Report of the Task Force on Spam: Stopping Spam: Creating a Stronger Safer Internet
Task Force on Spam Working Group on Validating Commercial Email: Recommended Best Practices for Email Marketing
International Links
Australia: Competition and Consumer Commission
EU & Non-EU: Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing
US: Federal Communications Commission
US: Can Spam Act
US: Direct Marketing Association
US: Direct Marketing Association - E-mail Preference Service
Telemarketing
Telemarketing in Canada is regulated by the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission. CMA continues to advocate for regulations that allow the legitimate industry of telemarketing to function, while respecting consumer choice.
Federal & Provincial Government Institutions
Regulations, Guidelines & Other Useful Information
Consumer Protection
Consumer protection laws regulate many marketing activities. Federally, marketing activities are governed by the Competition Bureau and office of Consumer Affairs. Despite this, responsibility for consumer protection resides with provincial governments and marketers often face a myriad of rules and regulations across the country. This section includes links to provincial websites and their most recent activities.
Federal & Provincial Government Institutions
Alberta: Government Services, Consumer Services Branch
British Columbia: Consumer Protection B.C.
Manitoba: Consumer Protection Office
New Brunswick: Department of Justice and Consumer Affairs
Newfoundland: Consumer and Commercial Affairs
Northwest Territories: Department of Municipal and Community Affairs
Nova Scotia: Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
Nunavut: Department of Community and Government Services
Ontario: Ministry of Consumer and Business Services
Prince Edward Island: Department of Justice and Public Safety, Consumer Services
Québec: Office de la protection du consommateur
Saskatchewan: Consumer Protection Branch, Department of Justice
Regulations, Guidelines & Other Useful Information
Ad Choices Program for Interest-based Advertising (or OBA)
Canadian Consumer Information Gateway
Competition Bureau Bulletin: The Deceptive Marketing Practices Digest
Alberta: Fair Trading Act
British Columbia: Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act
Manitoba: The Consumer Protection Act
Newfoundland: Consumer Protection Act
Northwest Territories: Consumer Protection Act
Nova Scotia: Consumer Protection Act
Ontario: Consumer Protection Act 2002
Ontario: Consumer Protection Act 2002 - Guide for CMA Members
Prince Edward Island: Consumer Protection Act
Québec: Consumer Protection Act
Saskatchewan: The Consumer Protection Act
Other Consumer Groups
Trademarks
There’s good news and bad news for marketer in Canada’s new trademark law, set to come into effect on June 17, 2019. The good: companies will be able to trademark a wide range of things, including sounds, scents, tastes, textures, holograms, moving images and more. The bad news: the changes open the door to trolls and trademark challenges. Check out our Fact Sheet to learn how to minimize the risks and maximize the opportunities.
Navigating Trademark Changes in Canada | CMA MEMBERS – DOWNLOAD
