TORONTO — Online dating website Plenty of Fish has coughed up $48,000 for allegedly violating the country’s anti-spam legislation, according to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
The fine stems from an alleged violation that happened between July 1 and Oct. 8, 2014. The company is accused by the CRTC of sending emails to users with “an unsubscribe mechanism that was not clearly and prominently set out, and which could not be readily performed, as required by the legislation.”
“This case is an important reminder to businesses that they need to review their unsubscribe mechanisms to ensure they are clearly and prominently set out and can be readily performed,” said Manon Bombardier, the CRTC’s Chief Compliance and Enforcement Officer.
PlentyofFish Media, which recently surpassed 100 million users, has since updated its unsubscribe mechanism to comply with the anti-spam legislation that came into effect July 1, 2014.
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The CRTC said that it appreciates the changes and encourages Canadians “to continue to report suspected violations to the Spam Reporting Centre.”
Earlier this month, the CRTC issued its first fine under the anti-spam legislation. Quebec-based Compu-Finder was handed a $1.1-million fine for violating the law.
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Canada’s anti-spam law requires businesses to obtain explicit consent from a user in order to send them an email. Implied consent — when a company assumes you have given consent by providing your email address when making a purchase, for example — is no longer good enough.
With files from Nicole Bogart, Global News
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