AOL backs down after pay-for-email criticism

But firm is not going far enough, warn opponents

vnunet.com, 06 Mar 2006

AOL has promised to grant safe passage through its spam filters to email messages from qualified not-for-profit organisations.

The ISP came under attack in February after announcing that it would allow commercial bulk email senders to pay for preferential anti-spam treatment through its Goodmail Certified Email system.

While organisations paying $3 to $4 per 1,000 emails would be offered guaranteed delivery, messages from regular senders would be routed through the firm's anti-spam filters, potentially labelling them as junk mail.

A group of over 50 not-for-profit organisations teamed up to protest against the plan, claiming that it created a two-tier internet where commercial organisations would receive preferential treatment over those that could not afford to pay.

Nearly 27,000 individuals have already signed an online petition on the group's DearAOL.com website.

AOL now aims to take away those doubts by offering not-for-profit organisations free access to the system.

"We want to make sure that not-for-profits which depend on timely communication with their members get all the privileges of this powerful medium, " said AOL 'postmaster' Charles Stiles in a statement.

"Our announcement today guarantees that every certified not-for-profit will get the same benefits as private sector companies that have decided to use Goodmail's Certified Email system."

Danny O'Brien, activism coordinator at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and one of the backers of the DealAOL.com website, told vnunet.com that AOL's decision is a step in the right direction, but fails to take away all concerns.

The adapted changes still exclude official not-for-profit organisations, warned O'Brien, and still provide AOL with an incentive to tighten its spam filtering criteria to drive sales of its guaranteed email delivery service.

"Our main worry is that it does not remove the key problem, which is the perverse incentives of the Goodmail scheme," O'Brien said in an email to vnunet.com, adding that he would like to continue the conversation with AOL.