Direct Hit: Mysteries of the FTC

Oh, those niggling details.

Can Spam has been around for over a year, and DMers still don’t have answers to some big questions.

For instance, just what constitutes a transactional message (one based on an existing relationship)? These e-mails are exempt from Can Spam’s opt-out requirement.

But the FTC, which is supposed to clarify such issues later this month, isn’t necessarily going to give DMers what they want.

To begin with, the commission shows no signs of agreeing with the industry view that newsletters and subscription renewal notices qualify as transactional messages. What does pass muster?