Attorney General Mike Cox is bringing the actions under the
State's Child Protection Registry Act which requires email senders
to check the registry to remove children's email addresses before
sending messages advertising goods or services that children cannot
legally buy.
Last week's charges against RR Media of California and Data
Stream Group of Florida are the first of their kind in the country
and may subject the spammers to a fine of up to $10,000 and other
penalties.
"The internet – especially email and instant messaging – is a
favourite vehicle for spammers and sexual predators to solicit
children to buy harmful products, view pornographic images, and,
worst of all, become targets of predatory activity," said
Cox. "I will continue to utilise all the tools available
under the law to protect Michigan children from these menaces."
The "Protect MI Child Registry" allows parents and others to
submit email addresses, instant message addresses, and other
electronic contact points to which children in Michigan have access
to the Michigan Public Service Commission, which administers the
registry.
The law prohibits sending email to a registered address with
content in the email that advertises anything a minor is prohibited
from doing, viewing, or using, such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling,
and pornography.
The law requires senders of this type of email to electronically
scrub their mailing lists against the registry, eliminating the
registered e-mail addresses from mailing lists. Michigan and Utah
are the only states that have adopted a registry law.
The prosecution was triggered by complaints from parents of
children who received the adult spam despite their details being
properly registered.
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