I think you're dealing specifically with a set of circumstances, whether the check box is ticked or whether it's not ticked. You get right down to the basics. The American model is an opt-out model, whereby nobody has to have prior consent or permission to send out any commercial electronic message at any time. The opting out is that unsubscribe mechanism. So every time I get an e-mail, I have to unsubscribe for it. And if there are 300 million businesses, they each get a shot at me, and I have to unsubscribe every single time. A “you can spam” act is basically what it turned out to be. In fact, many groups within the United States that are trying to protect the citizens are saying don't unsubscribe, because all you're doing is giving effect to your e-mail address. If you're confirming your e-mail address, then you're just going to be bombarded even more. That's the opt-out strategy.
The opt-in strategy is already under way. The Canadian Marketing Association appeared here. Most industry best practice is when we're getting your e-mail address. One, how are they getting the e-mail address? I'm writing it on a sheet of paper at the point of purchase, here it is. And in that form, when I'm writing my personal information in there and I'm writing in my e-mail address, it should state why you're collecting the e-mail address and what you intend to do with it. So if you intend to send me e-mails about products or services at that enterprise, and I'm filling in my e-mail address, that's express consent.
The question we should always ask ourselves before we go all over the place is, how are they collecting my electronic address? If I'm giving it to them, well, it's at that point where they should say, “Is it okay if we contact you or have partner organizations contact you to offer you a better deal the next time you rent a car?” And that's the idea here. For a legitimate, responsible enterprise, when they're collecting that address, it's to get my consent to send me further e-mails, to use this electronic communications vehicle as a preferred method to contact me. Because yes, it is the cheapest method to contact clients, whether they're prospective or existing.