A federal anti-spam bill has been considered by the US Congress
this week. The law is designed to stop e-mail from deceptive or
illegal marketers. But while it would be the first anti-spam law
enforceable in all US states, critics say it does not go far
enough.
On the face of it, the bill is a powerful deterrent to spammers,
carrying the threat of 2 years in prison or a $1.5 million fine.
But critics say the deluge of spam from “legitimate” businesses
will still get through.
Billy Tauzin, Republican Representative for Louisiana, is one of
the co-sponsors of the bill which, according to Reuters, obliges
marketers to detail their on-line and business addresses, and to
ensure that users will have their names removed from mailing lists
if requested.
Critics argue that the bill should let individuals bring private
court actions against spammers, as they can under much of the state
enacted legislation. It does not accommodate individual action and
therefore it is accused of pampering to the demands of the
marketing community, which fears a loss of business if the
legislation is too severe.
