Reading: 5.3 Society Protection Laws and Standards
| Category | Why | When | Where/Who | Examples |
| Environmental Protections | Sustainability of products and services; prevention of ecological harm | Permits, conservation, Indigenous lands, environmental impacts | Canadian Environmental Protection Act; Impact/Environmental Assessment; Competition Bureau environmental claims guidance (2025) |
What is the environmental impact of your product? Is it sustainable? Pictou Pulp Mill effluents (Fisheries Act); Enbridge pipeline reviews; Keurig Canada $3M penalty (2022) for misleading recyclability claims; 2024 amendments to Competition Act re: environmental claims. |
| Privacy – General | User/consumer identity protection and transparency | Data collection, storage, disclosures | Privacy Act (Office of the Privacy Commissioner, OPC) – applies to federal institutions | Government-client marketing plans; cybersecurity; opt-out standards; complaints about identity theft (criminal – RCMP). |
| Privacy – Consent | Truthfulness and disclosure in obtaining consent | Consent requirements and guiding principles (online & offline) | CMA: Transparency & Consent guidance; Quebec Law 25 overview (CAI) |
What does your Facebook/user agreement allow? Ensure clear, informed, ongoing consent across channels. |
| Privacy – PIPEDA | Private-sector rules for personal information | 10 fair information principles for collection, use, disclosure, retention | PIPEDA overview (OPC) | Email campaign design, data minimization, access/rectification; note: exemptions for certain non-commercial contexts. |
| Privacy – Reform (CPPA / AIDA) | Modernize privacy & regulate AI systems | Proposed/ongoing reforms impacting consent, accountability, and AI risk | Bill C‑27 overview (Justice Canada); AIDA companion document (ISED); LEGISinfo (Bill C‑27 status); Quebec Law 25 (text) |
Track CPPA/AIDA progress and provincial leadership (e.g., Quebec Law 25) for consent, DPIAs, fines; align marketing tech & AI use accordingly. |
| Do Not Call List (DNCL) – Privacy | Protect consumers from unwanted telemarketing | General telemarketing rules; industry-specific requirements | DNCL (managed by CRTC) |
Market research exemptions; robocall spoofing and scam protections; respect opt-outs. |
| Anti-Spam – Privacy (CASL) | Protect against spam, malware, deceptive practices | All commercial electronic messages: consent, identification, unsubscribe | CASL overview (ISED); CRTC anti-spam; CRTC CASL FAQs |
Manage email list consent & identification; prompt unsubscribe; note recent CRTC enforcement actions against SMS phishing and spam. |
| Financial Reporting and Disclosure | Consumer & investor protection via transparency | Provide financial information to recognized standards | Canadian Business Corporations Act | Disclosures for public companies (e.g., IFRS, ESG reporting considerations); specific rules for non-profits. |
| Decency, Censorship, and Freedom of Expression | Professional consumer communications and standards | Ethical, accessible advertising & integrated communications | CMA Code of Ethics; Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) |
Marketing to children/seniors; accessibility; influencer disclosure standards; truthfulness and professionalism. |
Creation note: This content was updated with the assistance of ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI, and was subsequently reviewed and edited by the author for clarity and accuracy.
