SEXUALLY EXPLICIT Spam Must be Labeled
Another phase of the U.S. federal CAN-SPAM Act will take effect May 19, when the Federal Trade Commission enacts a rule requiring all unsolicited bulk e-mail messages to contain the message "SEXUALLY EXPLICIT" in the subject line. The warning will help e-mail users and ISPs to better filter out unwanted messages. Messages containing either sexual graphics or language must contain the warning, and senders must provide their valid physical postal address. Other CAN-SPAM rules which went into place at the beginning of the year prohibit the sending of spam with a misleading subject line or a false return address. All commercial e-mail must also contain opt-out mechanisms.
attheraces Deal Violated Competition Laws
England's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) declared that 49 of the country's racecourses broke competition laws when they bounded together to negotiate a better broadcasting deal with the attheraces consortium three years ago. Vincent Smith, the OFT's director of competition, said, "We need to make it clear when collective selling may breach competition law. It is important that sporting bodies and others carefully assess whether collective selling agreements may restrict competition before they enter into them." The attheraces deal has fallen apart and the 49 racetracks will not incur a fine, but the ruling will complicate their efforts to negotiate new broadcasting deals.
Malaysian Police Bring Down Illegal Betting Operators
Malaysian police last week arrested seven individuals for operating an illegal multi-million dollar soccer book out of a posh 15th floor apartment. Police say the suspects operated the scheme from the apartment but used another facility in Hong Kong as the collection center. Police also estimate that suspects had been taking up to $1.6 million in bets each day on English Premier League and European soccer matches. The individuals had set up a Web site that enabled bettors to place wagers and pay via credit card.
Victorian Gambling Watchdog Receives Limited Powers
Victoria's government rejected proposals to give independent powers to a new gambling watchdog--the Advocate for Responsible Gambling. A panel of social bureaucrats advised that it was not necessary for the advocate to be independent and warned that it could turn into an uncontrollable critic.
Thailand's Method of Internet Censorship
Thailand's Information and Communications Technology Ministry has hired 59 students aged 13 to 25 to aid in censoring inappropriate Web sites. Over the last four months the Thai government had filtered 1,387 Web sites, which is only a tiny number when considering the vastness of the Internet. So the ICT Ministry selected 59 students to report sites that contain gambling, pornography, defamations of the Royal family, spam e-mail, or content that could impact national security. According to one volunteer, "There is too much inappropriate content on the Internet today. Many students know about these sites so I want to work on the project in order to help shape up our society."
Warrant-less Searches Necessary When Police Safety is Issue
A recent opinion from the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stated, "We believe that the need for police officers to protect themselves by conducting protective sweeps can be equally acute regardless of whether the sweep is incident to an arrest." The decision comes from a case in 2000 when the employee of a convicted felon named Kelly Gould told officers that Gould intended to kill two judges and some police officers. Officers showed up to Gould's house without a warrant and were let in by his housemate. They discovered three guns in a closet and later took Gould into federal custody. A lower court ruled that the evidence should be suppressed, but the federal government appealed the ruling. The appellate court agreed that the evidence should be suppressed, but ruled that such police searches could take place.