Hello,
 
More and more companies want to start a mailing list to 'broadcast =
e-mail' information to large groups of people.  Often times they will =
already have a list of names and e-mail addresses that they will provide =
to us to populate their mailing list.  Before we will broadcast anything =
we ask if the address list they have supplied are from people who have =
asked to receive information from them. So far we have gone on the honor =
system, however, we are becoming more and more concerned about potential =
abuse of our mailing list hosting service by companies/individuals using =
mailing lists to spam unsolicited e-mail addressees. =20
 
It is a difficult issue because businesses need to be able to advertise =
to potential consumers who have e-mail addresses, yet on the Internet =
consumers (for the most part) do not want to receive junk e-mail and get =
spammed.  At least with mailing list/list server technology if you do =
receive unsolicited e-mail you can, (in theory) un-subscribe yourself =
from the mailing list and stop receiving information (take your name of =
the mailing list) or simply delete the message.
 
My question for other mailing list managers/owners/hosting services is;
 
1.  How do you balance the need of businesses to advertise or =
communicate to Internet consumers using 'Broadcast E-Mail' or 'Mailing =
Lists' while not infringing on the rights of  consumers?
 
2.      Should we as a mailing list host, but not owner try to police what =
businesses and individuals are sending and to whom they are sending it? =
If we do we could be legally liable?
 
3.    Does anyone have any policies or procedures they use?
 
Spencer-Davis Group