Battling Spam
Politics, Technology and Unwanted E-Mail Messages

 April 14, 2003: The fight over anti-spam legislation

 April 15, 2003: Strategies for avoiding spam

Tips for Avoiding Spam » Disguise e-mail addresses posted in a public place by spelling out the address (for example, "nprhelp at npr dot org" instead of nprhelp@npr.org) -- spammers "harvest" addresses with special computer programs that scan Web pages. » Opt out of directories that publish your e-mail address online. » Read online service forms and requests for e-mail addresses carefully before choosing to submit your information. » Use multiple e-mail addresses, so you can jettison ones that might fill up with spam. » Use a spam filter -- most ISPs offer free filters. » Use a longer address name -- short names like "bob@hotmail.com" are easy for an automatic spam program to send unwanted e-mail to. Source: Center for Democracy and Technology

April 14-15, 2003 -- Unsolicited commercial e-mail -- better known as spam -- has emerged as a major online problem. Internet service providers say at least half the e-mail that passes through their systems is junk mail, and the problem is getting worse.

For Internet service providers, the deluge of pitches for herbal viagra, adult Web sites and get-rich-quick schemes can clog servers and overwhelm inboxes. Even with electronic filters, billions of unwanted messages get through.

In a two-part special report for Morning Edition, NPR's Rick Karr explores the politics of spam, and reveals some tips on how to prevent unwanted commercial e-mail from filling up your e-mail account.

Congress has considered at least 19 bills in the past five years proposing limits on junk e-mail. Each bill failed to pass -- in large part, anti-spam activists say, because of the efforts of a powerful and politically well-connected marketing industry. But marketers counter that they have legitimate First Amendment rights, and any legislation to ban spam e-mails should be carefully tailored.

"The details are more contentious," Karr says. "How to deal with overseas spammers? How to make sure anti-spam laws don’t run afoul of First Amendment guarantees of free speech, in the case of mass political and religious e-mail? And how to make sure companies don’t deceptively send out spam under the competition’s name, in order to get the competition in trouble?"

In Depth

 Browse more stories by Rick Karr

 Browse NPR coverage of spam

Other Resources

• Read the March 2003 study on spam, detailing methods to avoid spam and dodge spammers, by the Center for Democracy and Technology.

• The Direct Marketing Association, a politically powerful and vocal organization opposed to most anti-spam legislation.

• The Network Advertising Initiative a trade group of e-mail marketers lobbying for less restrictive anti-spam legislation and an "opt out" system for consumers.

• The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email

• Beginning April 30, 2003, the Federal Trade Commission will host a three-day public forum "to explore the issues regarding the proliferation of and potential solutions to unsolicited commercial email."

E-mail this Page

 

Recipient's e-mail address:	» Up to twelve addresses, separated by commas.
Your e-mail address:
Your name:
Personal message (optional, 600 characters max):
Your NPR member station:
Are you a member of your local NPR station?	Yes    No
Would you like to receive information from your local NPR member station? (see NPR's privacy policy)	Yes    No
Please send me updates from NPR.	Yes    No
(Information collected by NPR will be used solely for internal NPR or NPR member station purposes and only if you selected 'yes' above. See NPR's privacy policy for more information.)