Some Utah legislators have decided that there aren’t enough kids’ addresses on the state’s so-called child-protection do-not-e-mail registry, so marketers should pay more to help them advertise it.
The state’s Senate last week passed an amendment to its Child Protection Registry Act that would charge marketers up to 50 cents per match when they use the registry.
Currently, the company that runs the registry, Unspam, charges marketers $5 per thousand addresses checked.
If the amendment passes, marketers of legal, adult-oriented material will pay $5 per thousand addresses checked and 50 cents per match.
Revenue from the matches would be used to advertise the registry so more parents would use it.
Under Utah law, parents are allowed to register minors’ e-mail addresses and other contact points as off limits to material and links to material it is illegal for them to view or buy.
A similar law is in effect in Michigan.
Georgia, Iowa, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Hawaii are considering children’s no-e-mail registries, as well.
After six months, Utah’s registry reportedly has just 2,000 names on it.
Utah Republican Rep. Howard Stephenson said Unspam has no incentive to increase the list of children’s e-mail addresses because they simply charge the adult businesses a fee, according to the Salt Lake City Tribune. “It’s not designed for Unspam to protect kids,” added Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, according to the Tribune. “It’s designed to make money from the industries.”
The amendment, SB 206, now heads to Utah’s House of Representatives for debate.
