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Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Espinoza: Ads in e-mails, text messages
By Elias L. Espinoza
SPAM. A “spam” or unsolicited commercial e-mail does not only congest incoming mails into the computer’s inbox, it also distracts, if not consumes, working hours and resources.
Spam, as it is labeled in the US, is now outlawed in the State of California and carries a heavy fine of $1 million. Spam is actually trash sent by e-mail advertisers without the consent of the subscribers.
What the computer or e-mail users experienced in the US is practically happening also in our e-mails. I understand the E-Commerce Act does not cover such violation of privacy in e-mails.
I wonder if Congress can pass an amendatory provision that will make commercials in e-mail illegal and punishable if sent without the consent or agreement of the e-mail subscriber.
The same is true with cellular phones. Lately, I have been receiving spam from my provider. The advertisements don’t only disturb cellphone users, they’re also a waste of time and resources.
If ever our legislators come up with a similar law that the State of California passed, this should also include the spam in cellular phones.
Actually, before the story on the anti-spam law was carried in this paper yesterday, Mike Buot, a friend from Detroit, Michigan, mentioned it to us last Saturday during our lunch break at Mercedes Golf and Country Club in Medellin, Cebu.
Honestly, it took me a few moments to understand what Mike tried to tell us about spam in cellphones and e-mails until he explained it to us in layman’s term.
Spam refers to unsolicited commercials in e-mails or cellular phones sent to subscribers by advertisers.
According to the AFP news, market research firm Ferris Research estimated that unsolicited commercial junk mail cost US firms around $9 billion in 2002 alone in lost productivity.
Abusers can be traced and will be fined between $1,000 per unsolicited message and up to $1 million per campaign, said the news. I can imagine what cellphone companies will do if a similar law is passed here.
ABUSE. Abuse by a police officer comes in different forms. Tina Yap, wife of former tennis mate Mike, complained how a policeman in civilian clothes verbally abused her.
A certain SP03 Danilo Gallano, who was in plainclothes, apprehended and confiscated her driver’s license for an alleged traffic violation committed a day before at the car park in Ayala behind Cebu Inmaculada Concepcion (CIC).
I have yet to hear the side of Gallano, but when I listened to Yap, I could not help but chuckle with the way she was apprehended. Yap narrated that she had an argument with the driver of another vehicle on Sept. 17 at the CIC’s car park. Because it was full, she had to double-park.
In the afternoon of the following day, Sept. 18, she again went to CIC to pick her grandchild. This time, she was able to park her vehicle properly. A few minutes later, she was surprised when a certain SPO3 Danilo Gallano, who was not in uniform, approached her and asked for her driver’s license.
When she asked what her violation was, Gallano referred to the complaint of the driver the previous day that her vehicle caused obstruction and that she was arrogant.
Yap said the police officer raised his voice in the presence of several people when she refused to sign the ticket since Gallano did not see for himself the alleged traffic violation.
Worse, Yap said, Gallano threatened to have her driver’s license revoked. When she complained to the Land Transportation Office (LTO), she discovered that her apprehension was not supported by a complaint.
Judging from the version of Yap, Gallano’s apprehension was inappropriate. Under the circumstance, he could not confiscate Yap’s license since he had no personal knowledge of the traffic violation.
With emotions in her voice, Yap said what she could not accept was when Gallano treated her like a criminal. Granting she committed a traffic violation, Yap said Gallano had no right to shout at her in the presence of other people.
With what she experienced from Gallano, Yap said she is not surprised why other people don’t respect our policemen. I don’t suppose, however, that all policemen are like Gallano. Supt. Roderos should look into this.
(September 30, 2003 issue)
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