Verizon Applauds Expansion Of Virginia's Anti-Spamming Law

DULLES, Va. -- Virginia Gov. Mark Warner today signed into law the amended Computer Crimes Act. The new landmark legislation makes it illegal to falsify e-mail headers that spammers use to disguise their identity and raises the penalties for unsolicited bulk e-mail based on its volume. In addition, the law strengthens the ability of Internet service providers to enforce their user contracts that restrict unsolicited bulk e-mail, and the law increases the penalties for computer trespass. Verizon participated in the bill-signing ceremony at the headquarters of America Online in Dulles, Va.

Statement of Robert W. Woltz, Jr., president of Verizon Virginia:

"Virginia is taking a bold step to add new teeth to legislation to combat the growing problem of unsolicited bulk e-mail, or 'spam.' No longer can spammers hide behind false identities without risking criminal charges. Today's groundbreaking legislation gives Internet service providers, like Verizon Online and AOL, more muscle to enforce user contracts that prohibit the use of their networks to deliver large quantities of unwanted e-mail.

"We applaud Sen. Stolle's and Del. Devolities' sponsorship of the original bills leading up to this expanded legislation. We particularly appreciate the steadfast work of Gov. Warner and Attorney General Kilgore in getting these much-needed changes into Virginia's law."

Statement of Tom Dailey, general counsel for Verizon Online:

"Verizon Online is serious about protecting our customers from unwanted junk e-mail, as our support for this bill shows. We have zero tolerance for the transmission of spam to Verizon Online customers.

"We have participated in drafting anti-spamming legislation in other states and at the federal level, but this is truly landmark legislation. We hope other states will continue to look at Virginia's Computer Crimes Act as a model in their efforts to curtail spam."

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