Facebook beats the 'spam king'
Summary
Facebook won a $711 million judgegment against "spam king" Sanford Wallace for violating the Can-Spam Act, which bans "false and misleading" marketing emails.
Topics
Facebook was awarded $711m in a judgement on Thursday against self-described 'spam king' Sanford Wallace.
Judge Jeremy Fogel of the US District Court of the Northern District of California granted Facebook's application for a default judgement against Wallace for violating the Can-Spam Act, which bans "false and misleading" marketing emails. Fogel also found that Wallace "wilfully violated" a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction issued in the case and referred the matter to the US Attorney's Office for prosecution of criminal contempt.
"The record demonstrates that Wallace wilfully violated the statutes in question with blatant disregard for the rights of Facebook and the thousands of Facebook users whose accounts were compromised by his conduct," Fogel wrote in his judgement order, which also permanently prohibits Wallace from accessing the Facebook website or creating a Facebook account, among other restrictions.
For more, read "Facebook awarded $711 million in spam lawsuit on CNET News.
Talkback Most Recent of 15 Talkback(s)
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Hallowed are the Ori30th Oct 2009 -
RE: Facebook beats the 'spam king'
Ive always wondered why governments/courts don't do more on tackling spam.
Surely regardless of where they are based, some pressure can be exerted by the government, onto local governments, if they don't comply, limit/block the whole countries internet connection.
If they don't tackle it head on it will continue to grow to the point it is severely disrupting our access to email / internet.
jonesyx230th Oct 2009 -
What do you mean "will grow to the point"?
If they don't tackle it head on it will continue to grow to the point it is severely disrupting our access to email / internet.
It's already there.
May 26, 2009 9:24 AM PDT
Report: Spam now 90 percent of all e-mail
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10249172-83.html
Jan 29, 2008, News Report
Over 95 Percent of E-mail is Spam
http://www.govtech.com/gt/259865?topic=117671Hallowed are the Ori30th Oct 2009 -
True
At my previous company once I implemented an anti-spam filter, it blocked 95% of our mail. When I added SBL-XBL, it blocked 99%. Never had a complaint about legit messages not getting through, either.
TBone2k30th Oct 2009 -
Yep. Pathetic, isn't it?
One of the greatest communications tools ever created, hijacked by scum trying to sell you fake watches, international pharmaceutical products, penis enlargement, or wanting you to claim your $50 million from a kindly old gentleman in Zambia.Hallowed are the Ori30th Oct 2009 -
Its way past that
A lot of people have stopped using email and went to text messaging because there is a lot less spam. Basically spam has all but killed email for millions of people.
The same goes for the Internet, people are leaving it because it is literally a minefield. There are likely millions of infected web sites and the list keeps on growing.
I do not think the government can do anything about it either because they are buried under millions of pages of paperwork that gets nothing done.
bobdavis32130th Oct 2009 -
Government can do something about it!
Authorize bail enforcement agents (bounty hunters) to deal with suspected spammers ... no questioned asked.
Too Old For IT30th Oct 2009 -
Yes!
You have my vote!
frabjous30th Oct 2009 -
RE: Facebook beats the 'spam king'
Why can't they all get the message?
Total jerks!!
spinnoutguy30th Oct 2009 -
Facebook beats the 'spam king'
Here is the real difficult question: if you can only have 5,000 followers on Facebook,how could he have made so many spams to get fined $711 million dollars? Do you think he used a email address harvester and collected emails illegally? But how could he unless he was someone's "friend" on Facebook? Maybe he assumed 110
identities?
willprospector30th Oct 2009 -
RE: Facebook beats the 'spam king'
Spam is an entirely predictable outcome of the zero-pricing of emails. We see the same problem wherever services that cost money are given away free or charged at a flat rate: social networking/email accounts (millions of fake accounts), broadband use (P2P users downloading 24/7). In contrast, SMS spam will never become a serious problem because SMS messages are charged for. For as long as we want email and Facebook to be free, the problem of spam will never go away.
LordLiverpool1st Nov 2009 -
RE:RE: Facebook beats the 'spam king'
Are you trolling or what? Don't know which
wireless carrier you have but unlimited messages
can be had at a small price.
While I do not doubt that more nickel and dimming will come to the Internet there is no
sense in rushing it. Do you work for the postal
service?
Companies always have had to pay for junk mail
and yet still many of us get it. So no it will
not stop advertising and will result in just
making communication more expensive for the rest
of us.
kieranmullen2nd Nov 2009 -
RE: Facebook beats the 'spam king'
and all you have to do is not give them your email in the first place. Never post your email on a forum.
lordorwell@...2nd Nov 2009 -
RE: Facebook beats the 'spam king'
bAD BAD MORE PROBLEMS BEING CAUSED BY THOSE MURDERERS ON YOUR BILLS.
YOU KNOW YOU NEED THEIR HEADS TO EAT. YES.
YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE DEPRIVED BECAUSE OF THEIR HEADS. YES
BAIL ENFORCEMENT.. THAT'S THE EPITIMY OF IT LOL. YOU KNOW OTHER PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET OUT IF THEY HAD THE MONEY AND KNOW THEY NEED MONEY TO EAT AND KNOW PEOPLE ARE DYING BECAUSE OF IT AND KILLING BECAUSE OF IT AND THE HEADS ON THESE BILLS. YOU KNOW MURDERED.(IN THE MASSES ON TOP OF IT) IT'S ALL JUST EVIDENCE. LET'S ALL PRETEND.
pOPADOE20th Nov 2009 -
RE: Facebook beats the 'spam king'
I think the money should go toward the legal defense of anyone taking a pipe to a spammer's head ... so long as they don't hit them more than the number of emails they sent out.
:^P
Seriously, these people cost our economy billions every year, and take away more seconds of life from people than everyone who died in WWII. There is no excuse for not executing them or giving life without parole.
master@...4th Dec 2009
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