A woman walks past a Rogers sign on the day of the Rogers Communications Inc. annual general meeting for shareholders in Toronto, April 21, 2015.MARK BLINCH/Reuters
Rogers Media, a unit of Rogers Communications Inc., has agreed to pay a $200,000 fine to the CRTC for allegedly sending unsolicited e-mail advertisements.
The fine was levied under anti-spam legislation that took effect last year.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says the apparent violations stretched from July, 2014, to July, 2015, when consumers found e-mails came with an "unsubscribe" option that wouldn't function properly.
Allegations by the regulator also say Rogers failed to honour unsubscribe requests from recipients within 10 business days.
It is the fourth fine under the new anti-spam laws this year.
Corporate training company Compu-Finder was the first – fined $1.1-million in March. Since then, online dating website PlentyOfFish and Porter Airlines, have faced smaller fines of $48,000 and $150,000, respectively.
Under the anti-spam law, the first unsolicited e-mail sent by a Canadian company is considered a violation.
Canadians will be able to file lawsuits against businesses for breaking the anti-spam laws once a transition period ends on July 1, 2017, the CRTC said.