US to pass tough new anti-spam bill

US President George Bush is expected to ratify a new anti-spam bill which will become effective on 1 January 2004. The new bill, also known as the "Can-Spam" Act, forces commercial senders to include a valid postal address and an opt-out mechanism in the body of the e-mail. Deceptive subject lines and false return addresses will be outlawed. Violators could face fines of up to $6 million and prison terms up to five years.