On Thursday, 22 May 2003, the California Senate approved legislation
banning unsolicited e-mail advertisements commonly known as spam and
sent the bill onward to the California Assembly.

"An advertiser's right to free speech doesn't automatically trump your
right to be left alone," said the bills sponsor, Sen. Debra Bowen,
D-Marina del Rey, Calif.

In their letter of support, the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC)
referenced a report issued in January 2001 for the Commission of
European Communities that found that Internet subscribers world-wide
are unwittingly paying an estimated $10.7 billion a year in connection
with costs to receive junk e-mails.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), however, thinks the California
bill should focus on bulk mailers, rather than the occasional emails
sent out by a small business person trying to drum up business.

Ref.:

http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/sb_12_cfa_20030521_112641_sen_floor.html

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/05/22/financial1657EDT0137.DTL

Even if it becomes law the California measure will apply to only junk
mail originating or relayed in California, but at the least it will
bring more pressure on the Internet service providers and the US
government to solve the problem.

Robbie Rhodes
Etiwanda, Calif.
Mechanical Music Digest