FTC National Do Not Email Registry Report to Congress

National Do Not Email Registry: A Federal Trade Commission Report to Congress

June 2004

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has submitted a report to Congress on the feasibility of establishing a National Do Not Email Registry, as mandated by the CAN-SPAM Act. The report concludes that creating such a registry without first implementing a robust email authentication system would likely fail to reduce spam and might even increase it. The FTC proposes prioritizing email authentication to verify the origin of messages as a necessary first step before considering any registry.

The Commission based its conclusion on extensive input from various stakeholders, including major internet firms, consumer groups, ISPs, and technologists. Concerns highlighted in the report include the potential misuse of a registry by spammers to verify active email addresses and the significant challenges related to security, privacy, and enforcement, especially concerning children's email accounts.

Ultimately, the FTC advocates for strengthening email authentication measures as a foundational strategy to combat spam effectively, while addressing the complex issues associated with implementing a Do Not Email Registry.

For more information, see here: https://www.ftc.gov/reports/can-spam-act-2003-national-do-not-email-registry-federal-trade-commission-report-congress

These materials were obtained directly from the Federal Government public websites and are posted here for your review and reference only.  No Claim to Original U.S. Government Works.  These may not be the most recent versions.  The U.S. Government may have more current information.  We make no guarantees or warranties about the accuracy or completeness of this information or the information linked to.  Please check the linked sources directly.