Senator Sees The Slammer For The Spammers

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York) wants to put "chronic, unrepentant spammers" in the slammer, proposing new federal legislation aimed at doing just that.

"It's an epidemic," Schumer told the New York Daily News April 27. "Spam costs New Yorkers millions of dollars a year and hurts businesses large and small."

The Schumer bill would allow the Federal Trade Commission - which just so happens to be hosting a spam summit this week - to develop and operate a do-not-call list for e-mailers similar to the coming federal do-not-call registry. The bill would also cause first-time spammers to face fines or FTC lawsuits, with repeat spammers facing a maximum of two years behind bars for each spam posting.

The News said Schumer cobbled his legislation together after consulting with Internet experts like America Online and Microsoft, and that at least two other federal lawmakers - Senators Conrad Burns (R- Montana) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) continue working on federal anti-spam legislation.