Canada Post changes Smartmail Marketing program
By Rob Bale
Canada Post is preparing to change its Smartmail Marketing program to address concerns raised by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada last fall. According to the commissioner’s office, the program inappropriately used operational data combined with names and addresses from public telephone directories to validate an incomplete address in order to allow the delivery of an advertising flyer. The office was also concerned with the program’s use of aggregated postal code data to provide retailers with information about online shopping.
Canada Post has changed the program to no longer offer information about online shopping based on postal code data. It has also discontinued the use of information from telephone directories to validate incomplete mailing addresses. Canada Post has also stated that it will work to increase consumer awareness of its direct marketing program as well as the procedure for opting out.