FTC Endorses Bounty For Spammers

The Federal Trade Commission's recommendations are less than originally proposed in Congress.

“In a report released Thursday, the FTC said that some anti-spam proposals, such as a “Do Not Spam” list similar to the agency’s highly successful “Do Not Call” list, would not work and could make spam worse. But the agency said in its report that providing monetary rewards for turning in spammers could work in some cases.

The FTC said it is important to reward only what it calls “high-value” information. This information is the type that would be provided by employees in a spammer’s organization, or perhaps by friends or family members. The agency is suggesting rewards ranging from $100,000 to $250,000. “

One thing to consider here is how this can affect the anti-spam industry. Several companies such as McAfee and Lavasoft benefit from spam because they can sell their anti-spam programs. With the FCC stepping in, spammers are will most likely be more cautious or stop alltogether.

Read this full story at eWeek