Comments:

Re: CAN-SPAM Act Rulemaking, Project No. R411008 To the Commissioners, Although I am a supporter of the CAN-SPAM Act, I am very concerned about the proposed requirement for merchants to maintain suppression lists. There are many problems and costs associated with this idea, and so much damage will be done to consumers and businesses, that I feel it will undermine the effectiveness of the entire CAN-SPAM law. Requirement of the use of suppression lists will seriously damage many of the legitimate publications available on the net. My specific concern is for harm to publishers who require permission from the consumer prior to adding them to any list. They're not who CAN-SPAM was designed to put out of business, but this requirement will very likely have that effect. There's also the potential for significant harm to consumers, because of the problem of properly knowing their intent when they unsubscribe from a list. On top of that, these suppression lists could easily fall into the hands of spammers, leading to more spam instead of less. It will also mean rising costs passed on to consumers. I am very concerned about the potential problems this ruling could spawn, and I urge you in the strongest possible terms to reconsider its implementation, at least until further extensive study. This is not what the CAN-SPAM act set out to do, and the far-reaching negative consequences of requiring suppression lists could seriously damage the credibility of those responsible for its implementation. Respectfully, Janet Wilson Atlanta, GA, USA