On June 11, e-mail users in the state of Washington got some protection from those who inundate them with "spam" e-mail when a new law went into effect. The state statute makes it illegal to use false or misleading information when sending unsolicited, commercial e-mail.
"Junk e-mail clogs consumers' mailboxes with unwanted advertisements for some very questionable products," said Attorney General Christine Gregoire. "It's not only a major annoyance, it's also very expensive for both consumers and Internet Service Providers." According to the Attorney General's Office, up to eighty percent of unsolicited e-mail messages contain some kind of deceptive information. Illegal pyramids, get-rich-quick schemes, gambling services and pornography are frequently promoted via junk e-mail.
While the new law won't stop spam, it does prohibit falsifying information about the sender, using false or misleading information in the subject line, and using a third party's e-mail address without that party's permission. It applies to e-mail originating from a computer in the state or sent to a Washington e-mail address.
Victims of illegal e-mail can sue for damages; $500 for individual e-mail recipients, and $1,000 for ISPs for each proved violation. Would-be senders of unsolicited, commercial e-mail are required to find out which of their intended recipients live in the state of Washington. Gregoire has urged Washington e-mail users to contact their ISPs and ask them to notify senders that they have a Washington e-mail address. As a fallback, the Attorney General's Office and the Washington State Internet Service Providers have set up a special registry that senders can use to identify recipient e-mail addresses.
Meanwhile, there is also activity concerning spam in Washington DC. In May, the Senate passed a bill (S.1618) that deals with unauthorized telephone carrier switching and unsolicited e-mail. It would require senders to provide a valid e-mail address and to inform recipients that they can stop future messages by typing "remove" in the subject line of their replies. On June 23 the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer Protection held a hearing on a similar bill (H.R.3888).
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