Known as the CAN-SPAM Act, the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 takes effect on January 1. The law prohibits the use of false header information in bulk commercial e-mail and requires unsolicited messages to include opt-out instructions. Penalties for violations include fines of up to $250 per e-mail, capped at up to $6 million.
The bill's authors, Senator Conrad Burns (R-Montana) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), praised the legislation as a powerful tool for countering the spam onslaught cluttering in-boxes.
"Swift and aggressive enforcement will be essential, and Senator Burns and I will continue to push the Federal Trade Commission and others to use the tools this law gives them to fight against spam," Wyden says in a written statement.
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