该法律的第一道关卡是同意：在发送第一条消息之前，你通常需要先获得同意。它规范的是向加拿大境内收件人发送的商业电子消息。
以下要求依据加拿大司法部发布的合并法案。
该法律禁止什么？
在未获得同意且消息不包含规定内容的情况下发送商业电子消息：
It is prohibited to send or cause or permit to be sent to an electronic address a commercial electronic message unless
(a) the person to whom the message is sent has consented to receiving it, whether the consent is express or implied; and
(b) the message complies with subsection (2).
第二项要求消息必须标明发送者及其代表方身份，提供收件人可以使用的联系信息，并包含退订机制。
有两个容易被忽视的适用范围要点。该法律适用于发送到电子地址的消息，不限于电子邮件，因此短信和即时通讯账户也在适用范围内。此外，该法律明确规定消息是否实际送达并不重要："it is immaterial whether the electronic address to which an electronic message is sent exists or whether an electronic message reaches its intended destination." 向无效地址发送仍然算作发送。
什么算作同意？
明示同意，或在四种法定情形下的推定同意。
推定同意的情形是一个封闭列表，其中第一种是大多数企业所依赖的：
consent is implied only if
(a) the person who sends the message ... has an existing business relationship or an existing non-business relationship with the person to whom it is sent;
(b) the person to whom the message is sent has conspicuously published ... the electronic address to which the message is sent, the publication is not accompanied by a statement that the person does not wish to receive unsolicited commercial electronic messages at the electronic address and the message is relevant to the person’s business, role, functions or duties in a business or official capacity;
(c) the person to whom the message is sent has disclosed, to the person who sends the message ... the electronic address to which the message is sent without indicating a wish not to receive unsolicited commercial electronic messages at the electronic address, and the message is relevant to the person’s business, role, functions or duties in a business or official capacity; or
(d) the message is sent in the circumstances set out in the regulations.
第 (b) 和 (c) 款比看上去更窄。两者都要求消息与该人的职务相关，因此公开的工作地址并不构成将其加入通用营销列表的许可。如果地址在公开或提供时附有拒绝接收未经请求邮件的声明，这两款也不适用。
推定同意持续多久？
两年或六个月，取决于产生同意的事件。
该法律通过引发关系的事件来定义现有商业关系，并为每种情形设定了时限：
existing business relationship means a business relationship ... arising from
(a) the purchase or lease of a product, goods, a service, land or an interest or right in land, within the two-year period immediately before the day on which the message was sent ...
(e) an inquiry or application, within the six-month period immediately before the day on which the message was sent ...
因此推定同意会衰减。三年前购买过你产品但从未明确订阅的客户，你无权向其发送消息；七个月前发过咨询的人也是如此。这是对你在数据库中建模同意影响最大的要求：仅知道同意是推定的还不够，你需要记录产生推定同意的日期和事件。
退订机制必须满足什么要求？
免费、通过同一渠道操作，且在六十天内保持可用。
The unsubscribe mechanism referred to in paragraph 6(2)(c) must
(a) enable the person to whom the commercial electronic message is sent to indicate, at no cost to them, the wish to no longer receive any commercial electronic messages, or any specified class of such messages ... using
(i) the same electronic means by which the message was sent, or
(ii) if using those means is not practicable, any other electronic means that will enable the person to indicate the wish
并附有执行期限和有效期：
The person who sent the commercial electronic message ... must ensure that effect is given to an indication sent in accordance with paragraph (1)(b) without delay, and in any event no later than 10 business days after the indication has been sent, without any further action being required on the part of the person who so indicated.
你提供给收件人的退订地址有其自身的有效期：
The person who sends the commercial electronic message ... must ensure that the electronic address or World Wide Web page referred to in paragraph (1)(b) is valid for a minimum of 60 days after the message has been sent.
这六十天的有效期同样适用于消息中的联系信息，这是一项运营要求而非起草要求。如果退订 URL 在活动归档后停止解析，就违反了这一规定。
存在哪些例外？
例外情况不多，且针对的是消息本身而非收件人。
第 6(6) 条免除了仅用于以下目的的消息的同意要求：
(a) provides a quote or estimate for the supply of a product, goods, a service, land or an interest or right in land, if the quote or estimate was requested by the person to whom the message is sent;
(b) facilitates, completes or confirms a commercial transaction that the person to whom the message is sent previously agreed to enter into with the person who sent the message
以及保修、召回和安全信息，和收件人有权获得的商品交付或服务。第 6(5) 条另外豁免了具有个人或家庭关系的个人之间的消息，以及就他人的商业活动向其发送的咨询。
在大多数例外中起关键作用的词是仅。附带促销内容的确认消息不是纯粹的确认，就像 CAN-SPAM 的主要目的测试将混合消息视为商业消息一样。
这对我的项目有什么影响？
它使同意成为每个收件人的带溯源的事实，而非一个布尔标记。
如果你向加拿大收件人发送消息，你需要知道每个收件人的同意是明示的还是推定的、由什么事件产生、以及何时产生。单个布尔值无法回答该法律提出的问题。Bird 将同意记录为附带同意时刻的声明，这正是所需的数据结构；消息偏好设置介绍了如何记录订阅以及如何撤销退订。
简而言之
同意是前提，可以是明示的或推定的。
该法律允许两种形式，这正是它具有可操作性的原因，并且它对推定同意做了严格的限定，而非交由主观判断。
现有商业关系会过期。
自购买之日起两年，自咨询之日起六个月。期限届满后，由此产生的推定同意即失效。
它涵盖的是消息，不仅仅是电子邮件。
该法律规范发送到电子地址的商业电子消息，这包括短信和即时通讯账户。
退订机制既有执行期限，也有有效期。
收到退订请求后须在十个工作日内处理，退订地址或网页须在消息发出后六十天内保持可用。