The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial emails. President George W. Bush signed it on December 16, 2003. The name 'CAN-SPAM' came from the word “canning,” which can be associated with putting an end to spam messages.
The article explains the essence of the CAN-SPAM Act and considers its do's and donts.
This law establishes the requirements for commercial mailings and gives recipients the right to stop receiving them. The CAN-SPAM Act also determines the punishment measures for deviation from the rules. The law makes no exception for business-to-business email. That means that all types of emails – for example, a message to former customers announcing a new product line – must comply with the law. Mailings that do not comply with this law could result in a penalty and will bring losses to a company.
The main requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act are as follows:
- Don’t use false or misleading header information
- Don’t use deceptive subject lines
- Disclose clearly that your message is an advertisement
- Let the subscribers know where your company is located
- Don’t hide the unsubscribe link
- Tell subscribers how to opt-out of receiving emails from you in future
- Even if you hire another company to send your mailings, you can’t deny your responsibility to comply with the law
Last Updated: 23.08.2023
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