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Abstract
Anti-spam activists favoring anti-spam laws believe technology improvements and anti-spam software will not alone address spam issues since technology alone will not be able to hold spammers accountable but that the law will. The FTC has recently asked US Congress for new powers that would let it cooperate closely with other governments and prosecute domestic and overseas spammers more readily. The FTC would be granted with the power to serve secret requests for subscriber information on ISPs, peruse FBI criminal databases, and exchange sensitive information with foreign law enforcement agencies. On an individual basis, e-marketers, in order to distinguish themselves from spammers, can develop business practices relating to the handling of personal information in an ethical manner. They should ensure that they respect the interests and choices of customers by only sending e-mail advertisements to users who have either agreed to receive such marketing or with whom the e-marketer has a pre-existing relationship. In addition, e-marketers should ensure that their marketing messages indicate the name of the distributor and disclose the identity of the marketer and the content of the message in the subject title, while providing the online user with an adequate procedure to opt out.