Compliance & Regulatory Standards

Overview

PenguinMails is designed with compliance at its core, ensuring that your email operations meet all relevant legal and regulatory requirements. Our platform automates compliance processes and provides comprehensive audit trails to protect your business.

Primary Regulations

Email-Specific Regulations

  • CAN-SPAM Act: US Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act
  • CASL: Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation
  • TCPA: Telephone Consumer Protection Act (SMS compliance)
  • Google & Yahoo Sender Requirements: Major ISP policies

Data Protection Standards

  • GDPR: European General Data Protection Regulation
  • CCPA: California Consumer Privacy Act
  • PIPEDA: Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
  • ISO 27001: Information security management systems
  • SOC 2: Service Organization Control standards

GDPR Compliance Features

Data Subject Rights

  • Right to Access: Provide data copies within 30 days
  • Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate personal data
  • Right to Erasure: Delete personal data ("right to be forgotten")
  • Right to Restrict Processing: Limit data processing temporarily
  • Right to Data Portability: Provide data in machine-readable format
  • Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests

Compliance Implementation

Data Protection by Design

  • PII anonymization and soft delete functions for GDPR compliance
  • User consent management system (multi-legislation tracking)
  • Automated consent expiration handling
  • Legal basis tracking and documentation

Data Processing Procedures

  • Comprehensive RLS policy matrix for all database tables
  • Row-level security ensures complete data separation
  • Tenant-specific encryption keys for sensitive data
  • Audit logging per tenant for compliance

CAN-SPAM Act Compliance

Message Requirements

  • Clear Identification: Sender name and address must be accurate
  • Subject Line: Must not be deceptive
  • Physical Address: Valid physical postal address in all communications
  • Opt-out Mechanism: Clear unsubscribe link in every email
  • Honor Opt-outs: Process unsubscribes within 10 business days

Automated Compliance Features

  • Unsubscribe Processing: Automatic unsubscribe link inclusion
  • Header Information: Accurate sender information in all emails
  • Compliance Monitoring: Real-time compliance violation detection
  • Audit Trails: Complete tracking of all compliance-related actions

CCPA Compliance Procedures

Consumer Rights

  • Right to Know: Categories and specific pieces of personal information collected
  • Right to Delete: Delete personal information (with exceptions)
  • Right to Opt-out: Opt-out of sale of personal information
  • Right to Non-discrimination: No retaliation for exercising rights

Data Inventory Requirements

  • Categories Collected: Email addresses, IP addresses, device information
  • Sources: Direct from users, third-party integrations
  • Business Purposes: Service provision, analytics, marketing
  • Third Parties: Stripe, email service providers, analytics platforms

Email Infrastructure Compliance

Security Measures

Data Encryption

  • In Transit: TLS 1.3 encryption for all data transmission
  • At Rest: AES-256 encryption for stored personal data
  • Key Management: Secure key rotation and storage procedures

Access Controls

  • Role-Based Access: Least privilege access to personal data
  • Multi-Factor Authentication: Required for administrative access
  • Audit Logging: Comprehensive logging of data access and changes

Deliverability & Reputation

Compliance Monitoring

  • Real-time deliverability monitoring and alerts
  • Spam complaint handling and automation
  • Bounce processing with compliance reporting
  • Sender reputation tracking and optimization

IP Management

  • Automated IP warmup with compliance tracking
  • Geographic IP distribution for optimal deliverability
  • Dedicated IP addresses per tenant (optional)
  • Reputation monitoring across all IP ranges

Incident Response & Breach Notification

Breach Notification Requirements

  • GDPR: Notify supervisory authority within 72 hours, affected individuals without undue delay
  • CCPA: Notify affected California residents without unreasonable delay
  • CAN-SPAM: No specific breach notification, but FTC may investigate
  • CASL: Notify Privacy Commissioner and affected individuals

Incident Response Workflow

  1. Breach Detection: Automated monitoring and alert systems
  2. Impact Assessment: Scope and severity evaluation
  3. Stakeholder Notification: Legal team and compliance officers
  4. Remediation: Immediate containment and resolution
  5. Documentation: Complete incident documentation and reporting
  6. Post-Incident Review: Process improvement and prevention measures

Vendor Compliance Management

Key Vendors and Compliance Status

Vendor Purpose Compliance Status Last Review
Stripe Payment Processing PCI DSS, SOC 2 Monthly
NileDB Database Services SOC 2, GDPR Quarterly
MailU Email Infrastructure GDPR, CAN-SPAM Annual
PostHog Analytics GDPR, CCPA Quarterly
Hostwind VPS Provider SOC 2 Annual

Third-Party Risk Assessment

  • Vendor Evaluation: Privacy and security capability assessment
  • Contract Requirements: Data protection clauses and audit rights
  • Ongoing Monitoring: Regular vendor compliance reviews
  • Incident Reporting: Vendor breach notification procedures

Compliance Monitoring & Reporting

Regular Compliance Activities

  • Monthly: Compliance metric review and reporting
  • Quarterly: Privacy impact assessments and vendor reviews
  • Annually: Full compliance audit and certification renewal
  • Continuous: Regulatory change monitoring and policy updates

Compliance Metrics

  • DSR Response Time: Average time to respond to data subject requests
  • Opt-out Processing: Percentage of opt-outs processed within 10 days
  • Audit Findings: Number and severity of compliance issues identified
  • Incident Response Time: Breach notification and resolution timing

Reporting Capabilities

  • Internal Reports: Monthly compliance dashboard for management
  • External Reports: SOC 2 reports for customers and auditors
  • Regulatory Filings: Required submissions to supervisory authorities
  • Customer Inquiries: Responses to privacy and compliance questions

Training & Awareness

Staff Training Requirements

  • New Employee Training: Privacy and compliance orientation
  • Annual Refresher: Updated training on regulatory changes
  • Role-Specific Training: Specialized training for high-risk roles
  • Incident Response Training: Regular drills and simulations

Training Topics

  • Data Protection Laws: GDPR, CCPA, and other regulations
  • Email Marketing Rules: CAN-SPAM, CASL compliance
  • Security Best Practices: Data handling and incident prevention
  • Privacy by Design: Incorporating privacy into product development

Future Compliance Roadmap

  • Multi-legislation consent tracking (GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA, CASL)
  • Consent withdrawal and management interface
  • Legal basis tracking and documentation
  • Automated consent expiration handling

Q2 2026: Advanced Audit Features

  • Data modification tracking (before/after values)
  • Comprehensive audit retention policies
  • GDPR audit trail structure
  • Database-level retention enforcement

Q4 2026: Complete Compliance Framework

  • Complete data export framework
  • Field mapping for data portability
  • Enhanced audit logging and access tracking
  • SOC 2/GDPR compliance audit trails

PenguinMails is committed to maintaining the highest standards of compliance and data protection. For questions about compliance features or to request compliance reports, please contact our compliance team.