'EPIDEMIC' OF JUNK EMAIL PROMPTS LEADING CONSUMER GROUPS TO PETITION FTC FOR SPAM CRACKDOWN
Groups Also to Launch Opportunity for Those Fed Up with "Spam" to be Heard
Three of the most prominent consumer groups in the United States will announce at 10 a.m. EDT on September 4th that they are joining forces for the first time to petition the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue new rules that will dramatically reduce junk email referred to as "spam." The Telecommunications Research & Action Center, the National Consumers League, and Consumer Action also will unveil a new tool that will enable fed-up email users to send "spam horror stories" to the Federal Trade Commission in support of their petition.
The unprecedented consumer group action against "spam" email will take place against a backdrop of growing evidence of an increasingly out-of-control epidemic in "spam" email. One new study estimates unsolicited bulk e-mails now comprise 36 percent of all email traveling over the Internet, which is up sharply from 8 percent just one year ago.
News conference speakers will be:
- Samuel A. Simon, chairman, Telecommunications Research & Action Center (TRAC). Founded in 1984, TRAC is a non-profit membership organization based in Washington, D.C. that promotes the interests of residential telecommunications customers.
- Susan Grant, vice president of public policy, National Consumers League (NCL). Formed in 1899, the non-profit NCL works to protect and promote the economic and social interests of America's consumers, using education, research, science, investigation and publications.
- Ken McEldowney, executive director, Consumer Action (CA). Founded in 1971, the San Francisco-based CA is a non-profit, membership-based organization that serves consumers nationwide by advancing consumer rights.
NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS: 10 a.m., Cannon Room (on mezzanine level), J.W. Marriott Hotel, next to the National Press Building, Washington, D.C.
CAN'T ATTEND?: A live, one-way audio feed from the news event will be available at 1-800/966-6338. Use ID# 27753 or ask for the "banthespam" news event. Streaming audio will be available on the Web as of 6 p.m. EDT in the "News Room" at www.trac.org.
CONTACT: Stephanie Kendall, 703/276-3254 or skendall@hastingsgroup.com.
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