For this law to work, a lot will depend on execution. "Michigan will soon become the second state [after Utah] to make it illegal to certain types of spam to kids," the Detroit News reports. Parents will be able to add their children's email addresses to a state-run do-not-email registry modeled after the federal do-not-call list run by the Federal Trade Commission. Anyone who emails those addresses about porn, gambling, tobacco, drugs, or any products children can't legally purchase could be fined $5,000 per email and be required to turn over their computer, according to the law, which has passed the state legislature and been sent to Gov. Jennifer Granholm (her spokesperson said she will sign the bill). The idea of a do-not-spam list for kids "has attracted questions about its enforcement," according to the Detroit News. "Some parents are skittish about giving their kids’ e-mail addresses to the government." The FTC rejected the idea of a US do-not-spam system as unworkable.
A more workable solution - for anyone who wants only kid-friendly email in their in-boxes - might be a children's email-filtering product or service. There are a lot of options, among them: JustSafe.com, KidMail.net, KinderStart.com, KinderMail.com, and kidZmail.com. Email me if you try any of these and like it - your experience would be helpful to other parents!
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