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First Test of Utah Anti-Spam Law Dismissed

Posted by michael on from the thanks-for-playing dept.

fwoomer writes "Apparently, Utah feels that once you've 'opted-in' you can't opt back out as fast as you've opted in. From the story: 'Gillman requested removal on May 14, 2002, from the e-mailing lists his visit to Audio Galaxy a month earlier had linked him to. Two days later, he received a Sprint ad, and on May 28 he filed suit. The court found his attempt to have himself removed from the lists was insufficient to void the pre-existing business relationship.' If he was receiving spam in May after 'opting in' in April, I don't see how it could be unreasonable to expect to be removed from lists as fast as he was added. Unfortunately there's not much detail in this story. A good read, nonetheless." I don't see how signing up with Audiogalaxy establishes a business relationship with Sprint, but, whatever. Presumably some of the other lawsuits filed are against people that have no possible claim to the receiver opting-in.

2 of 193 comments (clear)

  1. Dangers of "Opting Out" by TrollBridge · · Score: 5, Informative
    I don't get a whole lot of spam, and I suspect it's because when I DO get spam, I NEVER click on the "Click here to remove yourself from our mailing list" link.

    For those who don't know this already, all that does is validate that there is a user who actively checks/reads that email account. A list of valid email addresses is VERY valuable to other spammers, who eagerly shell out the $$$ so they can send you MORE spam.

    So in reality "Opting out" often will only bring you MORE spam, not less.

    --
    There's a Mercedes gap too. I want one and can't afford one, but it's not government's job to do anything about it.
  2. No way of tracking-- unless by oliphaunt · · Score: 5, Informative

    Unless you use sneakemail. Whenever I encounter a webform where it seems like I need to provide a valid email address, e.g. to recieve a tracking number or an initial PIN code or some such thing, I just pull up sneakemail, create a new address, label it with the date and the party who is getting the initial address (March 14 03, audiogalaxy).

    That way, if audiogalaxy sells that address to someone else, not only do I know where that someone else got my address from and (approximately) when it must have happened, but (and this is the important part)

    I CAN CUT THEM OFF
    Sprint can send as many emails as they want to the address from audiogalaxy... that address is no longer valid, because sneakemail let me kill it.

    yes, i'm a paying subscriber, and i've been using it for about 2 years now.

    --




    Humpty Dumpty was pushed.