Are e-mail advertisers required to have an unsubscribe link?

[▐▀▀▀▀▀▌ ▌ Cyrus ▐ ▐▄▄▄▄▄▌]

One of my old e-mail addresses had gotten full of spam e-mails and what I discovered that no matter where the e-mail was from whether it be a legitimate company/service or a spam e-mail, they all had the unsubscribe option at the bottom. Why is it that I can't find a single one of those e-mails without the option? I mean if some company wanted to send out spam advertisements then why give the receiver the option to opt-out? Are they required to to have the unsubscribe link and if so who enforces it? Just wondering

10 POINTS BEST ANSWER!

[Computers]

I don't believe they have to.

But this is a simple fix. Just block that email address.

[DW]

The CAN-SPAM act requires them to include that link and remove you from their mailing list on request.

In practice it's not as good as that sounds. The legit spammers take you off their list, but your clicking the link proves that your email address is current - that's valuable information. They make a list of those proven-good addresses and sell it to other spammers. So you get off the first mailing list, but on to several others.

[quietstar525]

+1 to DW.

Reliable companies usually don't resort to spam in the first place.
So, if you get spam - it is coming from someone un-reliable.

If you just delete the mail, eventually that one sender will stop wasting time. They will think it is a worthless address. ( and possibly even a 'trap' set up to capture and tag spam mail)
If you respond to the email at all.. or click on ANY link in the email;
1) you are telling the "bad guys" that you actually read that garbage
... and only folks who read it are ever going to remotely have a chance to pay money for something.
2) you risk a virus by clicking on a link.

If you know the company and you want to stop with spam mail, go to corporate website, and look for contact info there.
If you don't know the company, or you do - and they are shady.. just delete the email without reading it.
Don't even acknowledge them.. they'll keep coming back.


You can try to get enforcement under CAN-SPAM, but it is nearly impossible to prove who really sent the mail, and the fines / damages you can sue for are barely worth any effort.
You can try to complain to "upstream providers".. but usually they already know that the guy paying $25/month for email is a spammer, and they like his money.