Congress Approves Anti-Spam Legislation
December 09, 2003
Congress Approves Anti-Spam Legislation
By TED BRIDIS
WASHINGTON (AP) - The new legislation Congress approved to stem the flood of unwanted e-mails will require a fundamental change in ways that Internet users respond to overflowing inboxes.
As the deluge of unsolicited pitches offering prescription drugs and cheap loans worsened during the Internet's growth, experts have cautioned computer users against doing what comes naturally: Reply to unwanted e-mails to demand an end to them.
The reason? Unscrupulous spammers deem each such demand a verification that someone actually received their e-mails - and promptly sent dozens more to the same address.
But the ``can spam'' legislation that Congress approved Monday requires unsolicited e-mails to include a mechanism so recipients could indicate they did not want future mass mailings. Computer users are being asked to ignore years of anti-spam training.
``It will require a change in behavior,'' acknowledged Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., one of the bill's sponsors.
The legislation also will prohibit senders of unsolicited commercial e-mail from disguising their identity by using a false return address or misleading subject line, and it will prohibit senders from harvesting addresses off Web sites.
President Bush has indicated he intends to sign the measure into law. Indeed, the White House revamped its own e-mail system this summer over a flood of so-called spam.
Clogged inboxes have become a leading irritation among Internet users, an increasing business expense for companies and a popular target for Washington interest before an election year.
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