What Good has the CAN-SPAM Act Done? - Why is This Important?
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Why is this important? These are the first two companies being charged under the provisions of the CAN-SPAM Act. The cases deserve to be watched closely; how else will we know if the act has a working set of teeth? If those teeth don’t bite, then it’s harder to be optimistic about the possibility of living long enough to see the advent of the truly spam-free mailbox.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t the only thing the FTC has accomplished pertaining to the CAN-SPAM Act since January. Its testimony runs to 17 pages. FTC staffers are doing something that government agencies do very well, which is working on a variety of reports. Even so, one recently set forth “a system of monetary rewards to encourage informants to report CAN-SPAM violators.” Get money for helping to turn in spammers? Where do I sign up?
In addition, the FTC is looking into setting up a “Do-Not-E-mail Registry,” similar in concept to the “Do-Not-Call Registry” by which telemarketers must now abide. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know a number of my friends have thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet that descended after listing on the Do-Not-Call Registry. I’m sure many of you -- like me -- have been known to keep an e-mail address longer than a phone number. Think of the implications!
Finally, it’s time to turn to the FBI. The bureau couldn’t point to anything quite as concrete as the FTC. They have, however, been working since last fall on something called the SLAM-Spam Initiative. In the FBI’s own words, the initiative “targets significant criminal spammers, as well as companies and individuals that use spammers and their techniques to market their products. It also investigates the techniques and tools used by spammers to expand their targeted audience, to circumvent filters and other countermeasures implemented by consumers and industry, and to defraud customers with misrepresented or non-existent products.” All well and good, but what has it accomplished?
Next: What's it accomplished? >>
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