Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail (UCE)

Unsolicited, unwanted and unrequested commercial emails or UCEs are generally referred to as spam. They are sent by all sorts of different groups and people, but most commonly vendors and advertising firms. While said advertising agencies defend the practice as valid and effective, most if not all Internet users consider them a nuisance if not outright harassment and misuse of personal data (email addresses, sometimes names and additional info).

 

 

Technipages Explains Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail (UCE)

Generally, almost all spam and UCEs aim to sell the user something – likely, something they don’t want. The impact UCEs have, goes beyond mere annoyance though – the sheer volume actively impacts the services provided by internet service providers and email hosts. They have to upgrade their bandwidth in order to keep up with the increased volume. The cost is, of course, passed along to consumers. Estimated to exceed $9 billion per year, this is no small amount.

UCE emails are a little different from newsletter spam in that users often unknowingly sign up to newsletters and then receive unwanted emails. UCEs, on the other hand, are truly unprompted.

Sometimes ordering on a website can lead to contact information becoming available to third parties, who then send unwanted offers or emails. This means that the user did nothing to actively prompt or give consent to the use of their data. In many places, UCEs are illegal now, and newsletters legally have to contain an unsubscribe link so that users can stop any further communication if they want to.

UCEs, despite generally being illegal, still happen – it is, however, possible to report them, or to filter them out with anti-spam filters.

Common Uses of Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail (UCE)

• UCEs are a type of spam.
• Unsolicited commercial emails are illegal in most places now, but they still pose a problem for many.
• The costs associated with UCEs rise year-to-year.

Common Misuses of Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail (UCE)

• Unsolicited commercial emails are newsletters users sign up for accidentally.