DMA: LAW ENFORCEMENT IS KEY TO REDUCING SPAM

FBI Highlights Unique Activity with Support From DMA to Identify and Prosecute Spammers

NEW YORK, May 20, 2004 – The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) praised Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) and the rest of the Senate Commerce Committee for holding a hearing today to discuss enforcement activities under the CAN-SPAM Act and other developments in combating spam since the Act took effect on January 1, 2004.

“We are especially pleased that the Senate will be hearing testimony today from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with whom we are working in a cooperative anti-spam effort called ‘Operation Slam Spam,’” said H. Robert Wientzen, president & CEO, The DMA. “The DMA has long advocated that strong and visible law-enforcement, aided by the new and very strong criminal provisions of the CAN-SPAM Act, holds the key to deterring egregious outlaw spammers. Our steadfast belief is that increased law enforcement will decrease spam.”

“In that vein, we put our money where our mouth is, and through a contract with the National White Collar Crime Center, The DMA has been supporting the FBI’s efforts to identify and facilitate the prosecution of the most egregious outlaw spammers,” said Wientzen. “We are very pleased that the Senate is recognizing this special initiative, and we eagerly anticipate that Operation Slam Spam will soon bear the fruit of criminal prosecutions against spammers.”

“We praise the FBI for their willingness to join with the National White Collar Crime Center, which is supported by a grant from The DMA on this groundbreaking law-enforcement endeavor, and are confident that Operation Slam Spam will go a long way to stop those who are corrupting e-mail to send spam,” said Wientzen.

“We also praise the Federal Trade Commission for its important work in the battle against spam,” said Wientzen. “With the FTC’s support, The DMA has devoted significant resources to help its members and other legitimate senders of commercial e-mail comply with the new law.”

“Finally, we congratulate Senators McCain, Burns, Wyden, Hatch, Leahy, Schumer and all of the members of the Senate Commerce and Judiciary Committees who brought this vital legislation through to enactment,” said Wientzen. “We have been working with the senators and their staffs for several years now, and applaud their ongoing interest and leadership in not only fighting spam, but in preserving the promise of e-mail as a vehicle for global commerce, communication, and education.”

About The DMA

The DMA is the leading trade association for businesses interested in interactive and database marketing, with nearly 4,700 member companies from the United States and 53 other nations. Founded in 1917, its members include direct marketers from every business segment as well as the nonprofit and electronic marketing sectors. Included are catalogers, Internet retailers and service providers, financial services providers, book and magazine publishers, book and music clubs, retail stores, industrial manufacturers and a host of other vertical segments, including the service industries that support them. According to a DMA-commissioned economic-impact study, direct and interactive marketing sales in the United States are projected to have surpassed $1.7 trillion in 2003, including $133 billion in catalog sales and $41 billion in sales generated by the Internet. The DMA's Web site is www.the-dma.org, and its consumer Web site is www.shopthenet.org.

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