<<< Date Index >>>     <<< Thread Index >>>

[IP] Mass. Senate passes bill to fight 'spam'



'); //-->

Mass. Senate passes bill to fight 'spam'

By Associated Press, 9/26/2003

Massachusetts Internet users may get a chance to fight back against unwanted e-mail, better known as spam.

The state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill yesterday requiring businesses that send out commercial e-mail to put the letters ''ADV,'' for advertisement, in the e-mail's subject line.

Anyone sending out sexually explicit e-mail would be required to put the letters ''ADV:ADLT'' in the subject line.

The bill makes an exception for e-mail from nonprofit groups or political organizations and candidates. Senator Jarrett Barrios, a Cambridge Democrat and the bill's sponsor, said the measure is an improvement over a new California law that bans all unsolicited commercial e-mail sent or received in California and imposes fines of up to $1 million per incident.

The bill would also prohibit the use of misleading information in e-mails such as false sender addresses or misleading subject lines; require all commercial e-mail messages to have a ''clear and conspicuous notice'' about how recipients can delete their names from the list; and make it illegal to use a third party's Internet address without their consent. The bill would allow individuals to sue anyone who violates the law and would impose a fine of $500 per message sent or $750 if the recipient is 65 or older.

The legislation covers e-mails sent on computers in Massachusetts, e-mails sent using service provider equipment located in Massachusetts, and e-mail messages where the sender knows or should know that the recipient lives in Massachusetts.

This story ran on page C2 of the Boston Globe on 9/26/2003.

-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To manage your subscription, go to
 http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip

Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/