Law & market

Canada Bill C-59 advertising rules checker

Canada's Competition Act — sharpened by Bill C-59 in 2024 — targets false or misleading representations, drip pricing and unsupported performance and environmental claims, with steeper penalties and a reverse burden of proof on green claims.

What it covers

ComplyAds checks your listing text against the Canada rules that most often trip sellers up, and cites the specific instrument behind each flag:

• Medical or health claim — claims that a product treats, cures or prevents a condition Competition Act s.52 (criminal false/misleading) + s.74.01(1)(a)
• Fake or incentivised reviews — fake, bought or undisclosed incentivised reviews Competition Act s.74.01(1)(a) (false or misleading representations) — the anchor for fabricated or AI-generated reviews
• Unsubstantiated efficacy claim — efficacy claims like "clinically proven" made without solid evidence Competition Act s.74.01(1)(b) (performance claim not based on an adequate and proper test)
• Misleading or drip pricing — inflated "was" prices, fake discounts and fees revealed late Competition Act s.52(1.3) (criminal) + s.74.01(1.1) (civil) drip pricing (Bill C-19, 2022)
• Unqualified superlative or absolute claim — unqualified superlatives and absolutes — "best", "#1", "100%" Competition Act s.74.01(1)(b) — performance/efficacy claim not based on an adequate and proper test, with the proof lying on the person making the representation (statutory reverse onus)
• Unqualified environmental claim — vague environmental claims like "eco-friendly" or "carbon neutral" Competition Act s.74.01(1)(b.1) (product environmental claims) + s.74.01(1)(b.2) (business/climate claims) — Bill C-59 (2024), reverse onus on the advertiser. Commissioner enforcement. Private applications: leave remains available on the (b.1) basis, but s.103.1(6.2) now bars leave for applications made on the (b.2) basis (Bill C-15, royal assent 26 Mar 2026). NB: NOT 74.01(1.1) (that is drip pricing).
• Possible false urgency or scarcity — invented urgency — "only 3 left", "ends today" — that isn’t genuine Competition Act s.74.01(1)(a) (false or misleading representations, incl. false urgency/scarcity)

An example that gets flagged

ComplyAds flags that as a health claim and points to the exact rule it relates to, not just the act — a prompt to look more closely before you publish.

How the check works

Paste a listing, ad or post; the risky phrases we detect are highlighted in your text with the reason in plain English and the rule behind it. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.

Not legal advice. ComplyAds is an informational risk check that flags potentially problematic wording under Canada rules. It does not certify compliance or cover every rule, and it is no substitute for advice from a qualified professional in the markets you sell in.

Questions