Adult Company That Used Affiliates Is Ordered to Halt Spam Operation

WASHINGTON — A federal judge has ordered the halt of a spam operation run by an operator of numerous online adult and social-networking websites.

The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday that affiliates of ATM Global Systems sent out unsolicited email with false or misleading header information and failed to include an opt-out mechanism and a valid postal address.

ATM Global operates SexyFriendsearch.com, FunHookups.com, JoinDatingFun.com and EDateFunTimes.com.

On Friday, a U.S. District Court in Chicago barred the company and owners Mark Richman and Nathaniel Seidman from further violations of the U.S. CAN-SPAM Act. It also required the company to establish an affiliate monitoring program and imposes a $75,000 civil penalty.

ATM Global didn't immediately return a phone message by XBIZ seeking comment on the court order.

The company, based in Boca Raton, Fla., has used affiliates to drive users to its websites since January 2006 or earlier, the FTC said.

The affiliates sent spam with "lurid" subject lines and false header information, making it difficult for recipients to determine the identity of the sender, the FTC said.

The judge's order included a civil penalty of $442,900 — the amount the defendants made from the spamming operation — and all but $75,000 was suspended, based on the defendants' ability to pay, the FTC said.

Related:  

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

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect 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.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

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

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.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Aylo Says It Will Comply With UK Age Assurance Requirements

Tech and media company Aylo, which owns various adult properties including Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube, plans to introduce age assurance methods in the United Kingdom that satisfy government rules under the Online Safety Act, the company has announced.

Kyrgyzstan Parliament Approves Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

The Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday passed legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

Show More