On the face of it, the bill is a powerful deterrent to spammers, carrying the threat of 2 years in prison or a $1.5 million fine. But critics say the deluge of spam from “legitimate” businesses will still get through.
Billy Tauzin, Republican Representative for Louisiana, is one of the co-sponsors of the bill which, according to Reuters, obliges marketers to detail their on-line and business addresses, and to ensure that users will have their names removed from mailing lists if requested.
Critics argue that the bill should let individuals bring private court actions against spammers, as they can under much of the state enacted legislation. It does not accommodate individual action and therefore it is accused of pampering to the demands of the marketing community, which fears a loss of business if the legislation is too severe.