FTC Puts ‘Do-Not-Spam’ Registry on Hold

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Fearing that spammers would mine a “do-not-spam” registry and look for new victims, the Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday it won’t immediately create a national list.

In a study, the regulators concluded that it would be "largely powerless to identify those responsible for misusing the registry" and might generate even more unsolicited sales pitches across the Internet.

The FTC instead proposed adoption of new authentication technology that will make it more difficult to disguise the origin of unwanted e-mails. Several plans from leading technology companies are under industry consideration.

In a study released last week from network security firm MX Logic, only one in six pornographic unsolicited emails complied with the Can-Spam Act regarding the labeling of pornographic spam.

The Denver-based company said that the FTC rule, which went into effect May 19, has been flouted.

The law requires all unsolicited email with sexually oriented content to bear the label "SEXUALLY-EXPLICIT" in the subject line.

The Can-Spam Act (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) requires that unsolicited commercial email senders ensure that the "from" line clearly reflects the sender's identity; that it includes a subject line text consistent with message content; that it includes the advertiser's valid postal address; and that it contains a working opt-out mechanism as a way for the consumer to decline to receive further commercial email from the sender.

The FTC on Tuesday said it was obligated to consider the proposal under the Can-Spam legislation that Bush signed in December.

"A national do-not-email registry, without a system in place to authenticate the origin of email messages, would fail to reduce the burden of spam and may even increase the amount of spam received by consumers," the regulators concluded.

If new authentication plans don’t emerge, the FTC it will convene a federal advisory panel to determine whether the government could require Internet providers to adopt one.

The FTC said it was worried about security and privacy issues of children whose addresses might be added to such a list.

"A registry that identified accounts used by children, for example, could assist legitimate marketers to avoid sending inappropriate messages to children," the FTC said. "At the same time, however, the Internet's most dangerous users, including pedophiles, also could use this information to target children."

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Braindance Unveils '6DOF' VR Tech

Interactive virtual reality platform Braindance has debuted its new Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) VR technology.

Kiiroo, Pineapple Support Launch 'Empower Hour' Series on FeelHubX YouTube Channel

Kiiroo and Pineapple Support have teamed up to launch the “Empower Hour” series on the FeelHubX YouTube channel.

Kansas Law Firm Deploys Religion, Bunk Science While Recruiting Plaintiffs Under AV Law

Kansas-based personal injury law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley is promoting debunked scientific theories and leveraging religious affiliation against the industry while it seeks potential plaintiffs for lawsuits against adult companies under the state’s age verification law.

UK Tech Secretary Lists Age Verification Among OSA Priorities

Peter Kyle, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on Wednesday made public a draft version of his priorities for implementing the Online Safety Act (OSA), including age verification.

AEBN Publishes Popular Seraches by Country for September, October

AEBN has released its list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Avery Jane Featured on 'Adult Time Podcast'

Avery Jane is the latest guest on the “Adult Time Podcast,” hosted by studio CCO Bree Mills.

FSC: Kansas Law Firm Threatens Adult Site Over Age Verification

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has been notified that Kansas law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley has sent a letter threatening an adult website with a lawsuit for breaking the state's age verification law.

10th Circuit Rejects Final FSC Appeal in Utah AV Case

The United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit on Monday rejected a motion by Free Speech Coalition (FSC) requesting that the full court rehear its appeal in Free Speech Coalition v. Anderson, the industry trade association’s challenge to Utah’s age verification law.

Trump Nominates Project 2025 Contributor, Section 230 Foe to Chair FCC

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated, as his pick to head the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr — an author of Project 2025 who has called for gutting Section 230 protections.

Streamate's Elevate Partners With Miss Mei on Decriminalization Initiative

Streamate’s Elevate initiative is debuting a November collaboration with creator and community advocate Miss Mei that will highlight the modern criminalization of sex work.

Show More