A practical guide to CAN-SPAM compliance and how proper suppression list management keeps you on the right side of the law.
What CAN-SPAM requires
The CAN-SPAM Act requires that you honor opt-out requests within 10 business days. But best practice is to suppress immediately - no one wants to explain to a regulator why someone received 5 more emails after unsubscribing.
The suppression list requirement
You must maintain a suppression list of everyone who has opted out of your emails. This list must be checked before every send. Simple in theory, complex at scale.
The 10-year retention requirement
Many don't realize that CAN-SPAM requires you to honor opt-outs for 10 years. That means your suppression list is forever-growing, and you need a system that can handle it.
Affiliate liability
If an affiliate sends on your behalf and violates CAN-SPAM, you can be held liable. This is why affiliate suppression verification is critical.
The solution
A centralized suppression system that syncs in real-time, maintains complete history, and provides affiliate verification protects you from compliance violations and the $46,517 per-email penalties.