U.S. Chamber Urges Congress to Use Caution In Restricting Commercial Email

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The United States Chamber of Commerce urged lawmakers to focus on stopping fraudulent email practices as they consider new guidelines to safeguard consumers, rather than targeting all commercial email marketing activity. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

"The collection of email addresses is emerging as an important marketing tool that allows businesses to reach potential customers more efficiently and gives consumers more options," said Rick Lane, Chamber Internet and e-commerce policy director, during testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. "Proposed legislation regulating the use of commercial email must not hinder legitimate businesses from reaching out to potential clients, but must specifically target the clear abuses."

The Chamber supports targeted legislation that would make it illegal to send information via the Internet containing misleading or inaccurate header, contact, routing information or email text with the intent to deceive or commit fraud against a consumer. However, it rejects broader legislation that would restrict the ability of businesses to send legitimate commercial email.

"Businesses in the 21^st century understand the new consumer power principle – if you fail to instill consumer confidence and provide customers with what they need, they will obtain it from your competitors with a simple click of the mouse," Lane said. "We have already seen customer reaction change businesses' email practices for the better."

The Chamber also disputes the notion that commercial email is a privacy issue. "This is yet another case of the privacy issue being misused as a means to promote other legislative objectives," said Lane. "Receiving email may annoy some consumers, but it is no more an invasion of privacy than receiving a letter in the mail."

Although the use of commercial email is still in its infancy, it provides another example of the Internet's power to create new market efficiencies to generate economic growth and provide consumers with more product choices and services, Lane said.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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