Although I have in the past advocated (and still do) using the legal system to make spamming unprofitable for spammers, I think that spam will ultimately be solved by new technologocial protecols, not legislative ones.
So, I have mixed emotions when I see that Virginia has passed a new law making spam a felony offense.
Virginia launched a crackdown on unsolicited bulk e-mail yesterday with a new anti-spam statute that enables prosecutors to seize the profits, computers and other assets of high-volume offenders.
While the law might deter some spammers, it won't stop the Russians, the Chinese, or the Nigerians. And I haven't yet seen the text of the new law to determine whether it might infringe on communications protected by the First Amendment. And those two things make me seriously question whether this new law is a good idea.
Posted by wasylik at April 30, 2003 03:57 PM | TrackBack