Washington, DC - Whether it’s mowing that extra patch of grass or alerting each other to an iffy-looking lurker, there’s a sense of security when next-door neighbors enjoy a cooperative relationship. The same holds true for international neighbors, as a new Memorandum of Understanding between the FTC and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) demonstrates.

The two agencies have always had a good working relationship. One shared goal is to stop companies from targeting across-the-border consumers by working together to stop scammers in their tracks. (Last week’s Vacation Station settlement is an example of that.)

The Memorandum of Understanding particularly encourages cross-border cooperation in Do Not Call and anti-spam enforcement. Canada’s Anti-Spam Law, which the CRTC enforces, specifically authorizes Canadian authorities to provide investigative assistance to foreign enforcement agencies, including the FTC. The US SAFE WEB Act already allows the FTC to help the CRTC in their investigations. Crackdowns on tech support scammers and illegal robocalls are just two examples of how American and Canadian consumers benefit from law enforcement collaboration.