Can Spam is working--Not!
At a press conference yesterday, the FTC released a report (PDF) that said the 2003 law is "effective in providing protection for consumers," as evidenced by the fact that that the number of spam e-mails is leveling off. That, despite the fact that 70 percent of the world's e-mail messages continue to be spam, and anti-spam companies show dramatic leaps in the number of junk e-mails.
At the same time, filtering technology has dramatically improved, which some bloggers say deserve the credit for reducing their spam levels rather than the federal law.
There's also lingering criticism that the law, which requires an opt-out approach rather than a stricter opt-in standard, actually increased the amount of junk e-mail because, among other things, it killed tougher state laws.
Blog community response:
"I think Can-Spam didn't do anything but increase the amount of spam to my in-box. It was supposed to lessen the amount of spam to my in-box, but instead of making bulk e-mailing illegal, they tried to legislate it which only made matters worse."
--Keithstric.com
"To anyone that's seen a reduction in spam entering their inboxes, thank the guys at your ISP for keeping the filters running as well as they can and thank whoever programs your email software. To the guys that wrote, voted on, passed, and market the CAN-SPAM law, thumb your nose at them, as that's all the thanks they deserve from what I can see from what still happens in my own email accounts."
-- Bill Toner at CNET News.com's Talkback
"Anti-spam folks were right to worry that the act would legitimize spam by providing guidelines to spammers. Now they can see, through the FTC's glassy-eyed denial that the CAN-SPAM act has done next to nothing and needs to be seriously revamped in order to help decelerate the proliferation of spam and to discourage the use of spam as a marketing tool."
--Spyware Daily