Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox announced last week he has filed charges against two companies alleging they violated the state’s so-called child protection do-not-e-mail law.
Cox is accusing RR Media, Inc. of Cathedral City, CA, and Data Stream Group, Inc. of Bonita Springs, FL of sending e-mail promoting gambling and alcohol to addresses of children on the state’s child no-e-mail list.
The companies are the first to be prosecuted under Michigan’s year-old Child Protection Registry Act. They are subject to a fine of up to $10,000 and other penalties, according to Cox.
Michigan allows parents and guardians to register minors’ e-mail addresses and other “contact points” as off limits to material it is illegal for minors to view or buy, such as alcohol and gambling services.
Under Michigan law, marketers who want to include material it is illegal for minors to view or buy are supposed to scrub their customer files against Michigan’s registry once a month and remove any matching names.
A similar law has been in effect in Utah for a year. So far, Utah has charged one company — a Canadian pornographer — with violating its child no-e-mail act. The company is out of Utah’s reach, however.
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