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FTC Tries to Can Sex Spam
F_SMASH writes "The United States' Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has charged a group of companies and individuals with failing to include required warnings on 'sex' related spam e-mail."
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One of the companies, Global Net Ventures, is based in the UK. How is the US FTC going to charge them?
Trolling is a art,
It is good that the government is doing something about spammers, even if it is just one segment of them.
Frylock: "We should have cloned twenties, Jackson wouldn't have given a fuck."
Ok, ok, rhetorical, I know. Shouldn't this be in YRO?
it's about time someone took care of these bastards - i like the occasional titty but getting surprises at work is a bit extreme...
/not so
The ironing is delicious!
Sex in a can? I think I've seen something like this before.. err--
Never mind.
"An infinite number of monkeys typing into GNU emacs would never make a good program."
Why haven't they gone out all the way and make this spam illegal instead of only capping a small part of it? It'll still end up in my mailbox...
'Cause now we can just set our spam filters to look out for something like "WARNING: This message's content might not be suited for..." right in the subject!
(my emphasis)
Seriously, are their email clients that display images in the subject line?!
down with p0rn...down with p0rn...errr...oops...down with spam but not p0rn.
Good to see the FTC actually doing something about something that's really an issue. But about about the vioxx spam? Wasn't it just recently slashdotted that Vioxx spam took the crown from sex-related spam?
O well, at least my spam filters can finally get some rest.
http://shit.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/11/2 039251
...I appreciate you finally lifting the posting ban on my IP address.
i really enjoy opening pron spam email with my boss over my shoulder... too bad
/* No Comment */
putting their finger in the leak in the dike. The Internet is much bigger than one nation. The solution is going to have to be technological, not regulatory.
If they could stop v.i.a$GRa, "Sorry it took me so long to get back to you but your m0Rt.ga.ge application for $250000 at % 2 . 1 inter est is ready" and "This sT()CK is skyrocketting" my spam box would be empty.
You don't need a jpg or gif image in the subject line when you've got ASCII art.
Please tell me that crucifixion will be a possible penalty should/when/if they are convicted.
Help Brendan pay off his student loans
FTC should be doing more - why is it that 1 year after CAN-SPAM was passed, there are very few such cases? And why is it that the FTC goes out of its way to publicize this effort - articles on CNN's home page and all other major news sites. It seems to me that they were under pressure by consumers to sue somebody, so they picked a number of foreign domestic companies and individuals, most of which they cannot get in court because of personal jurisdiction or other issues.
A default judgment against a Latvian spammer is not going to help out too much... I think.
Great, the FTC is stopping the only spam I looked forward to. Now the only thing I have to live for are those v14.gr4 emails. I'm glad their m4d l33t sp34k sk1llz c4n 5t1ll d3f34t my 5p4m f1lt3r.
Seriously, are their email clients that display images in the subject line?!
Piece of cake, mate ;-)
One man's -1 Flamebait is another man's +5 Funny.
What is it with this administration and sex? Janet Jackson -- huge fine for small tits. Sex spam -- have to stop that right now.
Why not go after the 419 spammers who are stealing people's life savings? Or how about the fake pills and illegal drugs? Just business, I guess.
Of course the government is cracking down on sex spam. Just imagine...
You're a middle-aged guy stuck in a bureacratic position. You spend your days debating horribly dreary points of order and generally struggling to effect any meaningful change...
Then somebody comes up to you and says, "Hey [your name], wanna drop what you're doing and spend a few weeks/months looking at porn?"
Yeah, tough decision there.
None.
Should more TLDs been available in the early days of the web? Sure. Is it too late? I don't think so.
A .xxx or .adult TLD would correct a lot of these problems.
Naturally, the remaining problem is enforcement. Which would require *gasp* job creation. What a sin.
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori
Now how am I supposed to meet Christine, Joy, or all the other girls who desperatly seek my company?!
Just a boy doing unproffesional IT work that's way above his head.
How are people deciphering what the hell spam is tying to sell these days? What am I supposed to do with an email like this:
Subject: PharmaBGHZ8
Message:
Hurtnig?
At least with porn spam, you have something to look at.
Jerry
http://www.syslog.org/
I know it is standard procedure to ridicule anything the present administration does, but going after ANY spammers is OK in my book. And going after the worst of the porn spammers is even better. Hell, I'l a geek and have been known to look at that stuff but these days I feel like I need a bath after I work through my inbox.... and that is after spamassassin has had first crack at it.
Democrat delenda est
If the government would work on getting rid of all that PORK in the budget instead of wasting time on fruitless efforts like getting rid of SPAM we'd be a lot better off.
What?
Canned sex spam starts to taste like the can, glass is much better. Did you know that the first canned food was stored in champagne bottles?
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Half the time sex spam uses sex warnings as an allure. The problem here is spam, not sex.
The only way to allow people to avoid sex-spam completely is to get rid of it, and that's not in the ability of the FTC.
This is like a speeding ticket, it hurts someone who is hurting safety. This move cannot help any "innocents" (in fact, it helps nobody) who just want a clean inbox.
"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World"
1 John 4:14
The same way they dealt with a P2P site in the UK. They ask the British Government permission to bulldoze their way in and wreck havoc, in exchange for making the Canadians buy some more subs.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
As "FTC Tries Sex in Can."
I wonder if they would bust themselves for spamming.
Raptor
"Procrastination is great. It gives me a lot more time to do things that I'm never going to do."
For "full" graphics, you'd probably need to have the DCL script uudecode the body of the message, which could contain the image data, which the subject line could then pass to an image viewer to display.
So, yes, it is possible. Provided you can find anyone using a VAX.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Oh - wait - "tries to can sex spam"... suddenly the name of that law makes more sense. I had been reading "can spam" as, "you can spam and nobody can sue you as long as you follow these rules"; it never occured to me that they might have intended "can" to be a verb. I was really surprised that Congress was being so straightforward about their intentions with that law, given that cutesy acronyms for law names are usually feel-good propaganda that mean something completely opposite of whatever the law actually does. I guess they outsmarted themselves with that acronym, since it works in both directions...
Dear Friend,
Hope this mail will not constitute an embarrassment to you. I came across your name while searching for a good Partner.
My Name is Mr.Abu Tanko personal assistant(P.A)to Mr.Kayode J. Naiyeju, the Accountant General ofthe Federal (AGF), Federal Republic of Nigeria. Recently,a large sum of money was recovered by the present democratic government from the estate of the former military dictator, General Sanni Abacha who died in 1998.This money was stashed in variousaccounts abroad,especially in Luxemburg,Switzerland. After recovering this money, it was discovered that the money had already accrued interest payments to the tune of over US$35 Million. Now, this money is not part of the money recovered.And no one knows about it, but me and a few trusted aides.
I intend to transfer this money abroad, to be invested or held by you on trust. This transaction is risk free and can be completed within five working days.
I will need the following information to commence with this transaction.
1.Your full names,
2.Your prvivate Telephone and Fax numbers,
3.Your contact home or office address,
4.Your age and occupation.
It is worthy to note that you are entitled to 30% of the total money,at the successful end of this transaction.
Reply this mail if you are interested so that we can decide on how to proceed from here. Please send your reponse to my alternative e-mail address:(redacted)
Regards,
Abu Tanko
and
Best present for your friends
re [11]:
JOB OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU(GET BACK)
Message subject
Smith Barney: Please VaIidate Your Account
expecting your response
HELP CLAIM YOUR FAMILY INHERITANCE
DEAR (name), KINDLY TREAT AS URGENT.
Security Alert on Microsoft Internet Explorer (from "SunTrust" support@suntrust.com)
Attention. Lloyd
XP PR0, AD0BE, 0FFICE 2OO3 & ALL FOR INSTANT DOWNLOAD NOW lessor emaciate
Dutch folklore does describe an incident where a person managed to prevent such sea defences from collapsing, by plugging the hole.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
The campaign donations are just loans. If the Government didn't repay them immediately, can you imagine what the interest rates would do to the economy?
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
http://travel.state.gov/law/info/judicial/judicial _690.html
Criminal Cases Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Treaties: Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Treaties (MLATs) are relatively recent development. They seek to improve the effectiveness of judicial assistance and to regularize and facilitate its procedures. Each country designates a central authority, generally the two Justice Departments, for direct communication. The treaties include the power to summon witnesses, to compel the production of documents and other real evidence, to issue search warrants, and to serve process. Generally, the remedies offered by the treaties are only available to the prosecutors. The defense must usually proceed with the methods of obtaining evidence in criminal matters under the laws of the host country which usually involve letters rogatory. See "Questions" below.
MLAT Treaties in Force:
I. The United States has bilateral Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) currently in force with: Anguilla*, Antigua/Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands*, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Dominica, Egypt, Estonia, Greece, Grenada, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Korea (South), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Montserrat*, Morocco, Netherlands, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Romania, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, Turks and Caicos Islands*, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay.
Why don't they force all SPAM to have the word "spam" in the title? That would make ot so much easier. Same with viruses. Is sex singled out because 51% of people are against it?
Why don't you guys have friends or journals?
Many countries have signed the Hague Convention which include the rules on cross border enforcement of civil judgments.
Fight Spammers!
If you can pass the e-mail through the 31337 sp33k text filter and it winds up the same, it's either spam or from your boss.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Obligitory Monty Python joke.
emt 377 emt 4
sex and spam? in a can? SIGN ME UP!
Any company that makes money off of unsolicited sex spam in the US is going to have to answer to the FTC. Sure, companies can still do this from offshore but hopefully those governments care enough to stop it. The point is, if the companies have to choose between conforming to the law or getting charged then they'll start putting the warnings in.
This is a type of spam that they actually have some legit legeal backing to go after. The problem is that this can and does expose minors to pornography. I am not against porn, but this is a good place to start and can help make a real legeal precident, to finally effectivly go after spam.
Its funny but the US government has failed to see the one way they actually could go after this type of spam. In much the same way that the FCC can "censor" public television and radio. The FCC is allowed to censor because the radio spectrum (boradcast TV and radio) is a limited bandwitdh, and they must allow the best use for the most people. Using this arguement it is suprising that no one has tried to enforce limits on what you can do with any US top level domain. Or used this arguement to enforce internet traffic in the US. Granted I do not know alot about the specific infra-structure of the internet, but I would assume that the government has invested some money into the infrastructure that would give them some leeway to enforce FCC type broadcast restrictions on the net.
---In a time of Chimpanzees I was a Monkey.
draw and quartering
beheading
keel hauling
disembowlement with bowls being set on fire
put rat(s) in cauldron, put caludron mouth up against stomach, heat base of cauldron
The english used to have some great death penalties. Too bad they (and we) are all wimps now. We need to bring back some of these and the ones like it.
Fly me to the moon Let me sing among those stars Let me see what spring is like On jupiter and mars
So how does this apply to the poor company that gets Joe-jobbed?
I see this a boon to those that practice that form of spam.
B.
This is a sig. This is only a sig. Had this been an actual sig you would have been informed where to tune for more sigs.
I know you're joking when you say you like porn spam, but let's face a fact:
MANY CHILDREN TODAY HAVE E-MAIL.
And that makes them easy targets for porn spam. What would the parents think about it? Sure they can install filters and such, but then we have two choices:
b) Children exposed to porn
a) Hyper-protected children with stupid AOL accounts
Neither of these is a good choice.
Obviously SPAM needs to be regulated (and of course, disappear, but the world's not perfect).
I hope they wear gloves.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
Either +1 insightful, or +1 funny. (actually it's depressingly RIGHT).
to add the following headers to spam?
:)
:'(
X-Unsolicited: Yes
X-Suitable-for-children: No
And then yes, make ALL spam that doesn't comply, illegal. Better regulations, gentlemen
Of course, this is the REAL world
FTC Tries To Can Sex Spam
FTC Tries to Can Sex (is that like bottling it?)
FTC Tries Can Sex (not sure what that is, but I can imagine)
FTC Can Sex (well, good for them!)
FTC Sex (sounds kinky. Perhaps it involves committees?)
Sex (hey, you got my attention)
Have you tried turning it off and on again?
no text. DONGS!
Out of an odd curiosity: Do any /.ers reward UCE senders who send emails in full compliance with CAN-SPAM by doing business with them?
Or, is it more likely the case that "It came by email, I didn't ask for it, fsck it and the (foul slime) that sent it!"
Take the 90-Day Challenge! http://rwmurker.bodybyvi.com/
Am I the only one who read this as "FTC tries can sex spam"?
I can't really blame them...if I got some spam offering can-sex, I'd probably click on it too. Damn my morbid curiosity.
Totally dude!
The common Unicode-art for eyes has a center dot (·, a character that unfortunately isn't whitelisted in Slashdot's configuration of Slashcode). Boobs have the dot at the bottom.
Actually, governments cooperate with each other. The Australian version of the FTC helped the FTC in their investigation of Global Web.
Fight Spammers!
Security Alert on Microsoft Internet Explorer (from "SunTrust" support@suntrust.com)
I'd stop right there, as SunTrust tried to sue the publisher of The Wind Done Gone.
Where are the farm animal midget monkey sex sites going to advertise? Take away spam and they'll just be some guy in a trench coat on a street corner handing out little paper flyers for "monkeygibletsandbjoobies.com". In the end...the animals lose. The horses will go back to being turned to glue, the pigs will be ham, and the monkeys...well, they'll still just be monkeys. ;)
In addition, the FTC said the advertisements did not include the required "opt-out" link to be removed from the e-mail list. As a result, thousands of people continued to receive the messages without their consent.
I think they mean they lacked the required "yes, I'm reading your spam"-opt-in link.
I don't know what's more frustrating, the obstinance of spammers or the ignorance of lawmakers.