Public Access To FTC Hurt By Spam Lists
from the you're-blocked dept
It's a bit amusing that, of all government agencies, the FTC is the first to set up spam blocklists based on publicly available blackhole lists. The problem with this, of course, is that many of those blackhole lists have been shown to be a bit overzealous, blocking out entire ISPs for one user's mistake. This means that plenty of people simply can't reach the FTC by email any more. The FTC, of course, is the agency you're supposed to send your spam to, because they're in charge of going after those that break the law. However, plenty of people are discovering they can't send anything at all to the FTC thanks to their spam filters. There's even the case of one person who was trying to send someone she had met in the FTC a proposal for fighting spam... but her message bounced as spam. The FTC has a great response saying that there are other ways to reach the FTC, and then refusing to explain what those are. Some more legally-minded folks think that these filters actually violate the law, saying that everyone has the right to petition the government (though, there's nothing saying that the right must include petitioning by email).
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Bigger Government is the Solution
What we need are stiffer penalties and more prisons to house spam or virus offenders, hereafter referred to as hackers. Every ISP should receive regular surprise audits by law enforcement agencies to fight hackers. High-profile, mass arrests of hacker rings by SWAT teams beating the crap out of offenders should be on TV. Spraying pepper spray into their eyes at point blank range should have crowd appeal.
Communities should follow the example of "Megan's Law" to publish lists of Known Hackers. Hackers shall be required to wear electronic collars to identify their whereabouts, and added to terrorism travel-watch lists.
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forgotten thing
X-)
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