Enforceable Remedies for Endless E-Mail

Although I wholeheartedly concur with Jonathan Turley’s disdain for spam e-mail (Commentary, April 21), I don’t believe legislation banning spam would be practical or effective without cutting off the money trail. Almost every purchase resulting from spam solicitation, whether for porn, virility enhancement pills or bogus software, is paid for with a credit card.

As spammers live in the “etherland,” with no geographic location, receiving payments in the form of checks or cash isn’t an option for them. Shutting down the spammers’ credit card merchant accounts will leave little incentive for further solicitations. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are the de facto currencies of the Internet. Any anti-spam legislation should coordinate with the credit card companies. Unlike the rest of us, these companies know where the spammers live, or at least where their money lives.

David Wood

Woodland Hills

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I agree with Turley’s suggested remedies. However, in case of reluctance by Congress to adopt such a comprehensive ban, how about a law that matches what has been done to reduce telemarketing phone calls? If the federal government can force telemarketers to not phone those who have submitted their phone numbers to a national “do not call” list, then surely there can also be a “do not e-mail” equivalent to which people submit their e-mail address if they do not wish to receive unsolicited e-mail.

Terry A. Bass

Torrance