ABA Family Legal Guide

Computer Law

Internet Issues

Spam

How do I prevent spam from reaching my in-box?

As with death, taxes, and junk mail, there are no foolproof ways to prevent spam. However, you can make it more difficult for the e-mail marketers who rely on spam to discover your address.

For example, you can be very circumspect about to whom you give your e-mail address. When purchasing items online, you can choose to do business only with companies that promise not to give your address to others. That, however, can be cumbersome, as it will require you to examine the often tedious and wordy privacy policies, agreements, or disclosures of each company. Another very common way to get bombarded with spam is to have your e-mail address on a website, which is picked up by a spammer. Some people try to avoid this by spelling out the @ symbol, making their address more difficult to search.

You can also purchase software or utilize an online service that screens out spam by refusing to accept any e-mail from a sender whose name the program does not recognize. However, spam software can have the unwelcome result of also screening out mail from new acquaintances or potential new clients if you rely on e-mail for your business. With a service, however, suspected span or e-mail containing viruses is trapped and stored for review by the recipient.

The race between the spammers and anti-spammers goes on and on. For the latest in anti-spam technology and tactics, type "anti-spam" or "stop-spam" into your favorite search engine and see what's out there.

One last tip. Any answer to a spam message is a big mistake. Even if you're just responding to an offer to take your name off the spammer's list, don't do it. The spammer will then know that you're a live address and that you've read the message. You'll find yourself on even more mailing lists.