CSC 379 SUM2008:Week 1, Group 2

Political Uses of Spam for Special Interests and Influencing Elections

Acts of defamation through spam and chain letters present many ethical concerns and can have significant impacts on the public perception of political issues, candidates, or can be used as a medium to spread misinformation to surreptitiously influence elections. Provide an overview of the ways spam and chain letters can be used to influence politics, providing a brief review of the ethical concerns each raises, and links to online resources that cite specific instances or effects of each. Also briefly examine legal and ethical considerations in regulating political spam.