AOL: ‘Mark Calendars’ for Mass Mailing Charge

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Internet giant America Online officially said it would begin charging a fee for mass emails sent to its Internet users late Tuesday, a move civil liberties groups have said will severely impede communication to millions of people. Officials at AOL have countered the new fee program will limit spam.

The new fees, scheduled to go into effect within the next 30 days, will charge between .05 and 1 cent per email message for mass distribution to AOL addresses. Yahoo also is considering imposing such a tax.

But while many acknowledge the fees will keep illegitimate businesses from spamming AOL customers, groups from the left-wing MoveOn.org to the decidedly right-wing Gun Owners of America have come out against the service.

In an open letter to AOL, Eli Pariser, executive director at MoveOn, said the email tax would give preferential access to people’s inboxes “while leaving people's friends, families and favorite causes wondering if their emails are being delivered at all. The Internet is a force for democracy and economic innovation only because it is open to all Internet users equally — we must not let it become an unleveled playing field.”

Pariser’s group, he said, would be charged thousands of dollars per week to email the several hundred thousand AOL users on the group’s mailing list.

A website setup to decry the tax, DearAol.com, includes a cornucopia of supporters such as Craigslist.org founder Craig Newmark and the Farm Workers of America. The groups on the site represent roughly 15 million people.

Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, has gone as far as to call for a boycott of AOL should the tax take effect.

Despite the opposition, AOL remains steadfast in its decision to impose the charges.

“Mark it on your calendars,” Nicholas Graham, an AOL spokesman, said Tuesday.

Legally, AOL has fairly solid legs to stand on. Courts have historically ruled that email providers are not held to the same level of accountability as a government institution, and consequently cannot face lawsuits for free speech violations.

The system to be used by AOL — and likely Yahoo in the coming months — was developed by Mountain View-based Goodmail Systems. Richard Gingras, CEO of the company, has said users will welcome the service once it goes into effect.

“Neither AOL nor Yahoo nor any other email provider would ever do anything to impede the way regular email is delivered without message fees or email taxes,” he said.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult, Could Face Override

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect in South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Show More