The House has passed legislation to allow consumers to block unwanted and unsolicited commercial e-mail, commonly called Spam. As a co-sponsor of the original legislation, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA-40) was a strong supporter, calling it a win for consumers and all email users.
The House has passed legislation to allow consumers to block unwanted and unsolicited commercial e-mail, commonly called Spam. As a co-sponsor of the original legislation, U.S. Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA-40) was a strong supporter, calling it a win for consumers and all email users.
"Five years ago Spam was a nuisance, now it is a nightmare. Consumers are fed up and want the unwanted emails to stop," said Royce, who pointed to recent studies indicating that almost 45 percent of today's email traffic is considered Spam.
This legislation will provide the Federal Trade Commission with the authority to set up a "Do-Not-Spam" registry based on the popular "Do-Not-Call" registry established this year for unwanted and unsolicited telemarketing telephone calls. It also makes it a crime, subject to five years in prison and millions of dollars in fines, to send fraudulent Spam.
"Under this legislation millions of Americans will have the ability to say no to Spam," said Royce. "This legislation will cut down on deceptive emails which target children and unsuspecting consumers. It will give them the choice to block these unwanted messages."
