From Aunty’s friends over at the Institute for Spam and Internet Public Policy:

NEW JULY 1st CHILD E-MAIL ADDRESS REGISTRY LAWS A BIG SURPRISE AFFECTING ALL E-MAILERS, WARNS INSTITUTE FOR SPAM AND INTERNET PUBLIC POLICY

“Jail Time, Large Penalties, and Private Actions Facing All Commercial Emailers Who Fail to Comply,” advises ISIPP.

The Institute for Spam and Internet Public Policy (ISIPP) is warning today that two laws enacted last year are about to go into effect, and will affect all commercial e-mailers in the United States and beyond.

“It’s incredible,” observed Anne P. Mitchell, President and CEO of the Intitute and a Professor of Internet Law at Lincoln Law School of San Jose, “these laws go into practical effect next week, and will affect nearly every commercial e-mailer out there, and nobody seems to know about it!”

The laws to which Mitchell refers are the new Michigan and Utah “Child Protection Registry” laws. Under the laws, both states must, no later than July 1st, create and operate e-mail address registries similar to currently-existing “do not call” lists. Individuals may place on the registries any e-mail address “to which a minor may have access.” Schools and other child-focused organizations may also register entire Internet domains.

Once an e-mail address is on the registry, commercial e-mailers are prohibited from sending it anything containing advertising, or even just linking to advertising, for a product or service that a minor is otherwise legally prohibited from accessing, such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling, prescription drugs, or adult-rated material. This is the case even if the mailing was requested. In order to ensure that they don’t send unpermitted material to any e-mail address on the registry, e-mail senders are required to…

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