Despite repeated warnings from the Federal Trade Commission that so-called child-protection do-not-e-mail registries are dangerous, a Connecticut agency has recommended the state implement one.
In a report dated Dec. 29, the state’s Department of Consumer Protection said such a registry would help prevent the marketing of illegal and illicit products and services to minors.
If the report’s recommendation becomes law, Connecticut would be the third state to enact such legislation.
Utah and Michigan implemented so-called child protection do-not-e-mail registries in 2005.
Under those laws, marketers who want to send anything it is illegal for minors to view or buy in e-mail must scrub their lists against the states’ registries monthly for a fee.
While the report out of Connecticut is the first evidence of state legislatures considering enacting child no-e-mail registries this year, most experts expect such legislation to be introduced in multiple state legislatures.
Six states considered but failed to enact child-no-e-mail laws last year.
Marketers argue that if enough states adopt such laws, anything illegal for minors-including such innocuous things as wine-of-the-month club newsletters-will be too expensive to send electronically. They also argue that the laws place an unfair burden on them while doing nothing to protect minors from spammers who are already breaking the law.
The FTC has stated repeatedly that do-not-e-mail lists may provide pedophiles and other Internet predators with lists of contact information for children.
Pornography trade group the Free Speech Coalition is suing Utah over its registry claiming the federal Can Spam Act supersedes it, and that it unconstitutionally interferes with interstate commerce.
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