Comments:

Re: CAN-SPAM Act Rulemaking, Project No. R411008 To the Commissioners: I applaud your efforts to curb the problem of unsolicited bulk email. However, I am concerned about the proposed requirement for merchants to maintain suppression lists. There are so many problems and costs associated with this idea, and so much damage that could be done to both consumers and businesses that I feel you must consider this matter very carefully. The requirement for 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. These are not the people 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 it's hard to know 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. I was quite surprised at the potential problems this ruling could create, and I strongly urge you to reconsider its implementation in light of these problems. I feel you will be seriously hindering my right to receive the emails I want and won't really eliminate the ones I don't. Just because I opt out of one program doesn't mean I never want to receive any other offers. The suppression list is a very bad idea! Respectfully, Barbara Ross Delaware, USA