Spam. It’s exasperating. It’s infuriating. It’s bedeviling. There out to be a law …
No, wait. Forget that last statement. Spam, that nuisance e-mail that clogs electronic mail boxes and causes countless headaches, is certainly an aggravation. But trying to control it through the power of the legislation is not the solution.
Washington and the state capitals are quick to offer help when there’s a popular uproar. Lawmakers rush to pose as courageous heroes who shield Americans from whatever scourge troubles them. Too often, their efforts are positively Shakespearian: Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Congress can pass any sort of anti-spam law it can think of. But how would it stop spammers who are located outside of the U.S.? How would it stop domestic spammers from moving offshore? What about the spammers who would refuse to respect a no-spam registry or some such impractical remedy?
Here’s another problem with outlawing spam: it limits legitimate businesses’ use of e-mail to sell their products. Shouldn’t they have the same right to use the Internet as anyone else out there who pays for Web access?
If Internet users want to dodge spam, they have the power to do it. Maybe the first rule should be never post or give out your e-mail address. If that is unavoidable, set up a junk e-mail account and give out that address. E-mail filtering is another option.
Some are backing what they consider a free-market solution to the cyber clutter: Require spammers to pay the recipients of their e-mails through a sort of postage.
What’s not needed, though, is more ill-conceived legislation from Washington. There’s enough of that to fill up everyone’s electronic mailbox with junk.