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General discussion

"Do Not SPAM" bill in Congress

by Angeline Booher Nov 23, 2003 8:38AM PST
ASHINGTON, Nov. 21 ? House and Senate leaders reached agreement on Friday on legislation intended to stanch the flood of junk messages filling e-mail in-boxes, making it likely that Congress will approve a final version of the bill by early next week.

The legislation would expose mass e-mailers to civil fines of up to $250 a message if they disguise their identities or make themselves impossible to trace ? a potentially significant blow to marketers because unwanted e-mail solicitations, or spam, now total as many as five billion messages a day

The bill would also authorize the Federal Trade Commission to come up with a plan for creating a national "do not e-mail" registry, a list that would allow people to prohibit marketers from sending them any unsolicited e-mail messages.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/22/technology/22SPAM.html?ex=1070082000&en=1fae3720ae5bb615&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE

Angeline
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

Discussion is locked

4 Posts
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Re:
by Josh K Nov 23, 2003 10:56PM PST

Of course if they're impossible to trace, they'll also be impossible to prosecute. It may have some impact but it won't go as far as the Do Not Call list in solving this problem.

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The ISP should be tasked with this.
by dawillie Nov 23, 2003 11:50PM PST

In Canada, Telus.net which is a fairly large ISP has placed spam filters on it's servers.

Spam mail is still downloaded into the mail box but it is identified as Spam and makes it a little easier to delete.

they also have a link on their website where a subscriber can sign in and check the box titled 'delete at server'.

once checked one does not even see the Spam.

believe this works on the same principle as the 'junk mail' filters at Yahoo and MSN web based mail.

if the Government makes it a liscencing condition it will place the onus on the ISP.

Personally I cannot see the ISP objecting to that.

david williams

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Re:The ISP should be tasked with this.
by Josh K Nov 23, 2003 11:52PM PST

Agreed, but you're still talking about filtering/deleting SPAM that has already been generated by someone. This bill aims to prevent it from being generated in the first place. I'd love to see that happen as much as anyone but I just don't think it's going to be easy to do.

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It would increase costs, which must be borne by the customer.
by IanC_OZ Nov 24, 2003 9:08AM PST

That marginal price may well send the ISP broke.

Ian

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