Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • IT Management

    FTC Targets X-Rated Spam

    By
    Elizabeth Millard
    -
    July 21, 2005
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      The Federal Trade Commission has charged seven companies with violating federal laws that require labels on e-mail containing sexually explicit content.

      Suits filed in U.S. District Court Wednesday seek civil penalties against TJ Web Productions, Cyberheat Inc. and Impulse Media. The other four companies involved in the enforcement action settled with the commission, for a total of $1.15 million.

      The companies operated affiliate marketing programs that sent e-mail on behalf of others in the adult entertainment industry. The FTC charged the marketers under the CAN-SPAM Acts Adult Labeling Rule, claiming that the firms violated that rule by not providing clear and conspicuous opt-out mechanisms, or a postal address. They also did not use the phrase “Sexually Explicit” in the subject line, as mandated by the rule.

      “We announced in April that we would be going after people under the rule, and started investigating violations in May,” said Jonathan Kraden, FTC staff attorney. “We want to make it very clear that were going to enforce this rule as aggressively as we can.”

      /zimages/2/28571.gifEnterprises get new weapons in their war against spam. Click here to read more.

      Many consumer watchdog groups applaud the FTCs effort, calling it a welcome dose of enforcement for CAN-SPAM. The use of the Act to track down and punish spammers has been lacking in the past, many believe.

      “Im thrilled that the FTC is starting to take action,” said Parry Aftab, executive director of WiredSafety.org, which has Wired Kids as part of its network. “The FTC has been very diligent at protecting children, as well as Internet users of all ages, and its good to see that theyre now doing enforcement.”

      Despite supporting the lawsuits, however, Aftab expressed concern that such enforcement tactics will ultimately prove futile in the face of so much spam, and considering the wily strategies employed by spammers.

      “Theyre smarter than all of us,” said Aftab. “And theyre slimier than any of us can handle.”

      One change that Aftab says could reduce pornographic spam being seen by children lies in the recent adoption of an “.xxx” domain name, which will separate porn purveyors and their customers from the rest of the surfing public.

      /zimages/2/28571.gifMovable Type works to block blog spam. Click here to read more.

      Those who wish to have a .xxx domain name must sign an agreement promising that they have implemented effective controls that will block children from accessing their sites. The creation of an adult entertainment area of the Web could draw some pornographic spammers away from sending messages to a mainstream audience, said Aftab.

      Also of concern in the spam watchdog community is the amount of resources available to the FTC. “They just dont have the manpower to go after spammers to the degree that everyone would like them to,” said John Mozena, co-founder of the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (CAUCE). “Congress gave them the power to do investigations and enforcement, but not the resources.”

      However, Kraden expressed confidence that the recent enforcement action will have an effect on x-rated spam, since it targets affiliate marketing companies rather than those creating the messages.

      “We think this top-down approach will bring the industry into compliance,” he said. “They know were serious now.”

      /zimages/2/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for more on IM and other collaboration technologies.

      Elizabeth Millard
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      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.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 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.

      ×