The act requires senders to check the "Protect MI Child Registry" to remove children's e-mail addresses before sending messages advertising goods or services that children cannot legally buy. Today's criminal charges against RR Media, Inc. of Cathedral City, CA, and Data Stream Group, Inc. of Bonita Springs, FL, are the first of their kind in the country and may subject the spammers to a fine of up to $10,000 and other penalties.
"The Internet -- especially email and instant messaging -- is a favorite vehicle for spammers and sexual predators to solicit children to buy harmful products, view pornographic images, and, worst of all, become targets of predatory activity," Cox said. "I will continue to utilize all the tools available under the law to protect Michigan children from these menaces."
The "Protect MI Child Registry" allows parents and others to submit e-mail addresses, instant message addresses, and other electronic contact points to which children in Michigan have access, to the Michigan Public Service Commission which administers the registry. In the first year of operation, over 50,000 e-mails have been registered.
The law prohibits sending e-mail to a registered address with content in the e-mail that advertises anything a minor is prohibited from doing, viewing, or using, and requires senders of this type of e-mail to electronically scrub their mailing lists against the registry, eliminating the registered e-mail addresses from mailing lists. Michigan and Utah are the only states that have adopted a registry law.
