Stalemate at Spam Summit?
WASHINGTON — An unprecedented and secret summit between the Direct Marketing Association and Internet activists sought to resolve deep differences in how spam is controlled and purged on the Internet. But tangible solutions remain elusive. “Never before has there been a meeting between the down-in-the-trenches Internet people, who have to deal with the problems on a daily basis, and the senior executives of the Direct Marketing Association, who represent the traditional marketing industry,” said Rodney Joffe, an antispam activist who attended Friday’s meeting. “This may be the beginning of the process of controlling unsolicited email with an effort from all sides.” The Direct Marketing Association is expected to announce Monday that it will support legislation to criminalize fraudulent spam. In addition, the association will endorse “opt-in” mailing lists as the most successful method of electronic marketing, and the creation of a global “opt-out” removal list for those who do not use
