"Spam": An Overview of Issues Concerning Commercial Electronic Mail

Smith, Marcia S.

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.

关键词: Technology;    Electronic mail systems - Law and legislation;    Telecommunication;   

RP-ID  :  RL31953
RP-ID  :  RL31953 2004-09-16

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Spam, also called unsolicited commercial email (UCE) or “junk email,” aggravates many computer users. Not only can spam be a nuisance, but its cost may be passed on to consumers through higher charges from Internet service providers who must upgrade their systems to handle the traffic. Also, some spam involves fraud, or includes adult-oriented material that offends recipients or that parents want to protect their children from seeing. Proponents of UCE insist it is a legitimate marketing technique that is protected by the First Amendment, and that some consumers want to receive such solicitations. This report discusses this issue in detail, as well as related legislation.