California Governor Signs Tough Anti-Spam Bill
California Governor Gray Davis signed an anti-spam bill this week that empowers California residents, the state attorney general and Internet providers to seek civil damages against spammers amounting to $1,000 per e-mail and $1 million per incident. The new law, which takes effect January 1, 2004. The legislation, dubbed SB 186 in committee, builds on current California anti-spam laws that requires commercial e-mail to carry "ADV" or "ADV:ADLT" in the subject line. The new law outlaws unwanted e-mails sent from or to someone in California or through a server in the state. It also prohibits the collecting of e-mail addresses on the Internet in California for the purpose of advertising. Customers would have to opt-in to any commercial e-mail. Individuals will be able to receive e-mail from companies they have done business with, but even those companies will be required to give customers the ability to opt-out of future solicitations. Thirty five other states also have anti-spam measures on the books, and Congress is debating a number of spam bills this fall. [Full story: Calif. Enacts Tough Anti-Spam Law - Internet News]
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