Never mind that free speech would be sacrificed to prevent what is, at best, a small annoyance. And never mind that the private sector has already largely solved the problem. But for those who want to reduce the amount of junk e-mail they receive, there are several steps they can take without involving the government. For example, they can set the preferences on their e-mail system to accept mail from marketers and friends they trust, and reject everything else. Even the free e-mail service Hotmail includes an Inbox Protector, which all but eliminates unwanted junk mail.
People can also use more caution when giving out their e-mail address.
Or they can use aliases when they surf websites. Or they can use filtering software like BrightMail or websites like Spamcop.net to notify spammers' Internet service providers and have their accounts closed. And if people are defrauded by illegal scams, they can still seek protection using existing laws and report offenders to the Federal Trade Commission. The point is, there's plenty of protection in place already. Net marketing is in its infancy.