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Send Email to Utah, Go to Jail

Talaria writes "The Institute for Spam and Internet Public Policy is reporting that two new laws in Utah and Michigan are going into effect next week, creating 'do not email' registries for children's email addresses. According to ISIPP, 'Email marketers who send unpermitted messages to email addresses or domains on the child protection registries in Michigan and Utah face stiff penalties including prison and fines.'" (Note that ISIPP has a vested interest in publicizing these laws, since they offer a service intended to establish that senders are in fact within the law.)

12 of 430 comments (clear)

  1. Enforcement Across the Pacific by reporter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If the spammer is living in China (i.e., mainland China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong) and if this spammer sends e-mail notes to the e-mail address of an American children, how do the authorities plan to enforce this law. There is no extradition treaty between China and the USA.

    1. Re:Enforcement Across the Pacific by nacturation · · Score: 4, Insightful

      To me atheisim suffers from the same problem religion does, the unexplained.

      There are two versions of the meaning of atheist. One is the technical one, as the word is really a-theist meaning not theist or without theism. So if you are not a theist, you are an atheist. Similar to amoral (not moral), atypical (not typical), asexual (without sexuality), etc.

      The other is the non-technical one which some label themselves and claim "I believe there is no God". Since that involves active belief, it is faith-based (just of an opposite nature) but isn't strictly atheism.

      Since I do not hold the belief that there is one or more gods or goddesses, I am not a theist therefore I classify myself as an atheist.

      --
      Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
  2. I dont live in utah by imstanny · · Score: 5, Insightful

    their laws no longer apply to me. ... with time, i won't have to dodge bullets either. But seriously, what their email gets automatically subscribed, as most emails do. Or if you're in a different country or state? I don't know the law in that respect, but it brings up the point of how can Utah law have jurisdiction on the internet.

    1. Re:I dont live in utah by Seumas · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What I want to know is what is so criminal about marketing to children over the internet? We market to them in magazines, on television, in school, on the radio - even in their text books. They can't go a minute without being marketed to in some way. So why should spam be any different?

      And what's next? Arresting some old man in line at the grocery store for making funny faces at the lady's kid in the shopping car - trying to make the kid laugh or something?

      Why don't we just lock children away until they're adults. That way we won't have to worry about them and they will grow up to be perfect, healthy, safe and sane and we won't have to baby-proof everything.

  3. Am I the only one.. by End11 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    .. that doesn't beleive that heavy-handed government intervention is the solution to every problem? Especially when the solution involves censoring (for whatever reason) email communications?

    --

    Which is worse: ignorance or apathy? Who knows? Who cares?
  4. Dear Santa, Re: Your Message by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 5, Insightful

    After a while, when those on the "nospam" list turn into unprotected adults, those addresses become a spammer's dream of verified recipients. Especially to those pitching to the "young adult" market segment, which is probably the most popular for spammers after "midlife crisis men". I guess I know what to give my Utah cousins for their 18th birthdays: A new address.

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    --
    make install -not war

  5. Token Law by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As usual, the headline is misleading. There is little chance that Utah will attempt to extradite spammers from China / Russia / South America, and so on. While a few (yes, and really VERY FEW) local boys have been hooked by The Feds, most are too slick (slimy?) to fall for leaving readable tracks for law enforcement to follow. In summary, this law is token and nothing more.

    --
    "Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
  6. More feel-good legislation by suitepotato · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Utah isn't going to be getting extradition for arrests of spammers in other states. Flat out not going to get it. The other jurisdictions don't even care to enforce their own junk fax laws, never mind anti-spam laws. Now Utah has an idea that they'll get other states to go along?

    No, not really. But the public will think they are doing something and go back to watching Survivor or whatever until their next wave of "government must do X about Y" feelings comes over them.

    --
    If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
  7. It's a bit more complicated then that. by autopr0n · · Score: 4, Insightful

    China's government has no direct control over what happens on the Island, but the KMT party which founded the Taiwan we know today is pro-unification, their ultimate goal is to merge with the PRC on their own terms. They used to claim to run the entire country, and sat on the UN, and even the UN security Counsole as "china". On the other hand, the other major party is seperatist, and wants to start a new country, called Taiwan.

    Right now a lot of Taiwanese bussness men are taking advantage of the fact that they are "Chinese" in order to make money in the quickly growing chinese economy. Lots of Taiwanese companies have plants and whatnot in China.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  8. Child predators by Carrion · · Score: 4, Insightful

    With all the hissy fit that's been going on about the possibilities for rapists to find children to abuse online, is it really a good idea to make it public information how to get a hold of children directly?

  9. Utah is great in some ways, not so great in others by John+Harrison · · Score: 4, Insightful
    If you like snow skiing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, fishing, rock climbing, or any number of other outdoor activities, Utah is a great place to live. Not only does it have real seasons (snow in the winter, sun in the summer) but there is a real diversity of terrain. You can go from desert to glaciers pretty quickly in some places.

    If you really, really, really hate Mormons (and I'd love to know why if you do, please say "intolerance on their part" so I can laugh at your intolerance), and you like to complain about obnoxious liquor laws, then it might not be the right place for you. The liquor lawas seem to be more of a problem for the tourists than for the locals, since the real problem is just understanding them. Anybody that wants to drink in Utah drinks whatever they want to.

    Even if you have no desire to live there, it is really worth a visit while on holiday. There are a large number of national parks and some really spectacular scenery.

  10. Re:What is Utah really like? by Guppy06 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Disclaimer: I'm 2 time zones away from Utah and the closest I've been to it is 6 miles over it.

    At any rate, I wouldn't say Utah is "dragging down the nation" all that much, if at all. You can't really talk about Utah without talking about Mormons, but my experience is that, while they may be quirky and even a little annoying at times, they're nowhere near as vitriolic as Evangelicals in general and Baptists in particular.

    Part of it has to do with history, I think: other than sending out missionaries on bicycles, Mormons have learned the hard way to keep to themselves. Baptists may be up in arms about a government conspiracy out to get them when they can't put the Ten Commandments in a courthouse, but I haven't seen the US Army shoot at them yet. They also haven't been forced to alter their religious teachings in order to be considered for statehood.

    (I'm partly sympathetic, but I'm mostly just ashamed of my government w/r/t Mormons.)

    Even on television they seem far more sedate in pushing their religion than your average group of Baptists. They don't start out with threats of damnation, they just want to start by mailing you a book.

    Another poster mentioned Senator Hatch, but let's face it: it takes 51 senators to get a bad bill through, and Hatch is only one man. You can't blame all those bad votes on Utah or Mormons. However, Baptists have the entire Bible Belt to play with (with the help of some sympathetic Catholics in Louisiana).

    At any rate, if you're looking for someone to blame, I'd look elsewhere for now. Another poster mentioned Washington, D. C.