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Dear Sir / Madam,
In a letter to you on the 30. August 2001, AEC asked you to support the European Commissions
proposal for a general opt-in model for commercial mails covering all of the European Union. (Draft
of the Directive COM(2000) 385)
The earlier proposal has now been re-elaborated
in the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home
Affairs and will be put to the vote in parliament on the 13. November.
Again the AEC urges you to accept the original European Commission proposal and reject any amendments
regarding the proposal for a general opt-in model for commercial mails covering all of the European Union.
We see no positive effects but too many disadvantages.
Unsolicited commercial e-mail (spam) means a number
of problems for the consumers:
·
Spam
is almost exclusively used by dubious companies, promoting: sex and
porn websites, questionable products like the herbal answer
to Viagra, “authentic”
university diplomas, fantastic investments opportunities promising to
earn millions in a few days. From a survey we have
made less than
1% of spams came from "serious" senders.
·
Receiving
spam mail costs consumers time and money. Consumers generally pays for
the time they are logged on to their Internet suppliers server
to download their e-mail.
· Spam
is a potential security risk as many spam-mails are carrying computer
viruses.
Allowing spam would be a historical mistake. The
consumer will be forced to directly pay for the distribution of advertising
they have not requested and that a majority of citizens do not want. As a
matter of principle it is totally unacceptable to make consumers pay
for something they have not asked for. It is not normal in a democracy.
We think
that not only a majority of citizens, but also a great majority of serious
companies, are against this misuse of new technology and that a
decision for anything but opt-in seriously will
hurt business and create a mistrust for all MEPs. We have great difficulty
to understand that some MEPs really want to
favour dubious companies, like sex and porno distributors and companies
selling fake and illegal products not taking care of serious
business and citizens.
Please feel responsibility to your voters/supporters,
the majority of citizens and do not open for the undemocratic development
and misuse of modern technology.
Best regards,
Anna Sellberg
Coordinator
AEC –
Association of European Consumers
Hem
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