9.3 How can you apply the ACM Code of Ethics to the practice of sending ???spam??? e-mail (unsolicited
messages to strangers)? What sections of the ACM Code apply, and does the ACM Code permit the
practice?
Several sections of the ACM code apply to the practice of spamming email:
1.2 Avoid harm to others: Spam email imposes costs on others, on the ISPs that must store and
forward the spam, and on the receiver who must spend time deleting unsolicited messages.
Also, often to goal of spam is to trick the receiver into revealing information about the receiver??™s
identity, so that the spammer can then steal the receiver??™s money or identity.
1.3 Be honest and trustworthy: Spam is nothing if not dishonest. The receiver did not ask for the
spam message, and the spammer designs the message to trick the receiver into responding to it.
1.5 Honor property rights: Spammers often create messages using the trademarks of legitimate
businesses. This is a violation of property rights, as well as a deliberate attempt to deceive the
receiver and make him vulnerable to further attack or theft.
1.7 Respect the privacy of others: Spammers violate this principle directly. The whole point of
spam is to gain surreptitious access to private information about the receiver.
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