ISPs Sue Spammers

ISPs Sue Spammers

Mar 15, 2004
1 minute read
eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

America Online, EarthLink, Microsoft and Yahoo announced last week what they said are the first industry lawsuits against spammers since the federal CAN-SPAM Act took effect in January.

The groups six suits, filed in four federal courts, target “hundreds of the most notorious spammers on the Internet,” said AOL spokesman Nicholas Graham in a conference call.

The complaints, filed in California, Georgia, Virginia and Washington, charge defendants with allegedly sending hundreds of millions of spam e-mail messages to customers of the four networks.

Practices mentioned in the suits include “deceptive solicitations for a variety of products”; use of open proxies, which disguise the origin of e-mail by routing it through third-party computers; using fake “From” e-mail addresses, known as spoofing; and omitting a physical address or an unsubscribe option.

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.