Can-Spam Isn't Canning SpamCan-Spam Isn't Canning Spam

Most spammers are ignoring the requirements of the federal Can-Spam Act, according to figures released Monday by a spam-filtering vendor.

Audiotrieve, a maker of anti-spam filtering tools, used fake E-mail accounts, dubbed "honey pots," over the weekend to attract spam. After analyzing the junk mail the honey pots received, Audiotrieve discovered that 90% didn't toe the Can-Spam Act line.

Only 102 of the 1,000 messages analyzed met all of the act's requirements, said Audiotrieve. Physical addresses, one of the demands of Can-Spam, were missing from the remainder, while only about one-third of the spam contained links to an opt-out mechanism, another requirement of the legislation that went into effect Jan. 1.

"Unfortunately, Can-Spam doesn't can spam," Audiotrieve CEO Roger Matus said in a statement. "Companies that already act at the margins of the law seem to also ignore these new regulations."