Announced Action for February 23, 2004

The Federal Trade Commission has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking technical information that could assist in creating a plan and timetable for establishing a National Do Not E-mail Registry as called for by the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (the CAN-SPAM Act).

An RFI published today in Commerce Clearinghouse describes the required technical features for any registry model that involves the registration of either e-mail addresses or domains - as in a domain-wide registry. The request also outlines the technical features for any registry model that involves e-mail marketers, domain owners, including ISPs, or third party e-mail forwarding services, obtaining access to data appearing on a registry of e-mail addresses. The request addresses requirements for providing those who register for any Do Not E-Mail Registry a mechanism for filing complaints that can be used in enforcement proceedings. In addition, it describes the required technical features for any registry model that involves a registry of authenticated e-mail marketers and the Internet Protocol addresses and domains from which they send e-mail. The FTC invites potential vendors with ideas for a registry to respond to this RFI.

Responses to the RFI must be received by March 10. Five copies of each response must be hand delivered or sent via an overnight courier service to Daniel Salsburg, Federal Trade Commission, Division of Marketing Practices, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.

Copies of the Request for Information are available from the FTC's Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint, or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1 877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at http://www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.