CAN-SPAM
The US federal law governing commercial email messages, requiring sender identification, opt-out mechanisms, and truthful headers.
What CAN-SPAM means
The CAN-SPAM Act (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act) is the primary US federal law regulating commercial email. Key requirements include truthful header information, non-deceptive subject lines, clear identification as an advertisement, inclusion of the sender's physical postal address, a functioning opt-out mechanism that must be honored within 10 business days, and no harvested email addresses. Unlike GDPR and CASL, CAN-SPAM does not require prior consent for commercial emails (opt-out model). Penalties can reach $51,744 per email violation. For advertisers using email-based lead generation via ads, CAN-SPAM compliance must be integrated into the entire funnel.
Related terms
CASL
Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation — a Canadian law governing commercial electronic messages, requiring express or implied consent.
Consent
A user's explicit or implied permission for data collection, processing, or advertising targeting, required by privacy regulations.
Opt-Out
A model where data collection or marketing occurs by default, and users must actively choose to stop it.
Email Marketing
Sending commercial messages via email, subject to regulations like CAN-SPAM, CASL, and GDPR consent requirements.