From: Mary @homes.com
To: help
Subject: spammer of multiple consumers
Hello again, I have done some research and for the moment, it seems that the word SPAM is not as clearly defined as I had hoped.
I am sincerely interested in knowing why I receive junk e-mail ALL the time, but why it is illegal to send an e-mail to a person in a field related to our services, ( a real estate agent) through their personal website where their e- mail address is displayed.
I have not had ONE complaint from the agents who have received the note, many have taken a look, some have become happy clients--what's the harm? Please explain in English--it seems too broad to go through all the related sites that use a lot of legal jargon. Thank you again. Mary.
Dear Mary,
Quotes from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission):
Spam imposes financial and operational costs on
Internet service providers ("ISPs"),
burdens consumers, and impacts e-commerce generally.
A third concern is with practices that are unwanted
intrusions in our daily lives. Unwanted
phone calls disrupt our dinner, and our
computers are littered with spam. There
are unwanted solicitations for pornography and
other products many find objectionable. Individually,
the injury is relatively small, but in the
aggregate the harm can be great."
So, it would appear as though spam (or any unsolicited
"pushed" advertisement) would violate laws in at
least three separate fields:
1) When you send spam, it is against the laws of
The United States of America. (It is our understanding
that you can be sent to the penal system for this offense.)
2) When you send spam, it is against the laws of
Economics. (It is our understanding that you can be put
out of business for this offense.)
3) When you send spam, it is against the laws of
humankind. The intrusion is a moral violation that
results in the violation of another's "human rights."
(It is our understanding that you can be sent to
Hell for this offense.)
Sincerely,
P.S. When SPAM is also false & misleading, it violates
a whole other set of laws.
"Unsolicited commercial e-mail -- "UCE," or "spam,"
in the online vernacular -- is any commercial
electronic mail message sent, often in bulk, to
a consumer with out the consumer's prior request
or consent.
Help Desk