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 done to consumers and businesses alike, that I feel I must urge you to consider this matter most carefully. 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. I was quite surprised at the potential problems this ruling could involve, and urge you in the strongest possible terms to reconsider its implementation in light of these problems. I would also like to comment on additional activities or practices that should be treated as “aggravated violations” under the Act. I think that companies that sell your email address to third parties have created more of a problem than the typical spammer. I.E. If I sign up to use AOL, MSN or another ISP, they should not give or sell my info to anyone. If I sign up to a list to get info on a home business, they should only use that information for their business, not sell my info without my permission. If I sign up to a list and it is obvious that many companies will be contacting me, that would be acceptable. Also, I feel that companies that use spyware and adware with the computer owner not knowing that they are doing so should be more liable than someone sending legit emails. This would be done when a program installed on your computer when you download a product, but do not know that a spyware or adware program is also being installed. I feel that more and more advertisers will turn to this kind of advertising, when email advertising is not a good option becasue of filters, CanSpam act, etc. These programs can be very damaging to a computer, and personally I would rather someone try to reach me by email then ruin my computer, which was already done recently. I also feel that some current laws will only hurt the online small business owner, and spammers and the like will always find ways to send unsolicited ads, and honestly, if it is done with reason, I feel that it is perfectly ok. I would like porn ads to be the expection, because that is not an acceptable form of advertising, due to the nature of the material, and that many kids are online having their own email acccounts, or being able to get a pop up ad from spyware or adware. Respectfully, Kim Ward Mi. USA