Spam: It Isn’t Just E-Mail Anymore

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Spam: It Isn’t Just E-Mail Anymore

Introduction

The digital information age has most certainly changed the face of our world. No matter where one looks, the effects of technological evolution can be seen. As recent as ten years ago, merchant companies were accustomed to using mass mailings, ad campaigns, and television commercials as their main form of advertising. Now, with e-commerce flourishing as strongly as ever over the Internet, these same merchants have a more powerful medium to utilize in advertising their products. In theory, there is nothing wrong with advertising fairly, honestly, and with the sole intent of selling products. Today, many of the advertisements on the Internet are not geared towards selling consumers honest and fair products. There are thousands of people who prey on the ignorant and computer illiterate. These advertisements are not always simply just on the Web, but they are in fact spread like wildfire to consumers through mass e-mailings.

In an ideal world, technologies like e-mail would be used for the common good; to promote a higher sense of community and to further the development of mankind. The ability to send electronic mail is a powerful tool. Unfortunately, good cannot exist without the presence of evil. So it would seem that for the time being we are stuck with e-mail spammers. I would ask, is the use of such e-mail messages ethical? Are they providing a service of any value? There are several ethical implications that I wish to take a look at regarding the use of such e-mail messages, as well as the ethical analysis of suppressing such activities in the United States and in the United Kingdom.

USA and the UK Crack Down on Spam

The United States has already be...

... middle of paper ...

...g the level of good arising from that censorship, since it involves suppressing freedom of speech. In summary, e-mail spam has grown to be a problem that the world is feeling the effects of, and if some sort of agreeable compromise is not met that satisfies both electronic merchants and general consumers, this problem will only continue to get worse.

Works Cited

Cranor, Lorrie Faith and LaMacchia, Brian A. “Spam!”

http://0-portal.acm.org.sculib.scu.edu/ft_gateway.cfm?id=280336&type=pdf&coll=portal&dl=ACM

Neumann, Peter G. “Risks to the Public in Computers and Related Systems”

http://0-portal.acm.org.sculib.scu.edu/ft_gateway.cfm?id=565629&type=pdf&coll=portal&dl=ACM

“UK backs global anti-spam move” Department of Trade and Industry, 2 February 2004

BritainUsa.com

http://www.britainusa.com/science/articles_show.asp?SarticleType=1&Article_ID=4721

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