WASHINGTON, Dec 16, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via Comtex/ -- Garry Betty, CEO of EarthLink (ELNK) , one of the nation's leading Internet service providers (ISPs), today will attend President Bush's signing at the White House of the CAN SPAM Act of 2003, a milestone law in the fight against spam.

In comments praising the legislation, Betty applauded the efforts of Congress and the President to help protect the millions of Internet users from the proliferation of spam.

"This law will enhance the efforts of Internet providers like EarthLink to combat the intrusive and illegal emails spawned by spammers," said Betty. "We commend the Act's criminal penalties for violations such as harvesting email addresses, launching dictionary attacks and falsifying header information.

"We also praise the Act's enforcement provisions, which will assist ISPs in their current efforts to fight spam. ISPs are consumers' first line of defense against junk email. EarthLink aggressively combats spam through technical solutions, litigation, and customer education; we now have legislative support as well. Industry and lawmakers must continue to attack spam on all fronts, and today's action by the President provides a key component in helping to preserve the integrity of the Internet."

EarthLink has been a leader in the fight against spam. In May, EarthLink launched spamBlocker, becoming the first major ISP to provide a permission- based spam-fighting tool that blocks virtually 100 percent of all junk email. By residing on the company's email servers, spamBlocker blocks junk email messages before they ever reach the customer's inbox.

Also in May, EarthLink won a $16.4 million judgment and injunctive relief against Howard Carmack, aka the "Buffalo Spammer," shutting down an operation that had generated more than 825 million spam emails on the Internet. EarthLink's pursuit of Carmack led to his eventual arrest and indictment by the New York Attorney General's office.

About EarthLink

"EarthLink revolves around you(SM)." As a leading national Internet service provider (ISP) headquartered in Atlanta, EarthLink has earned an award winning reputation for outstanding customer service and its suite of online products and services. According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2003 Internet Service Provider Residential Customer Satisfaction Study(SM), EarthLink is ranked highest in customer satisfaction among high-speed Internet Service Providers. Serving approximately five million subscribers, EarthLink offers what every user should expect from their Internet experience: high- quality connectivity, minimal drop-offs and ISP-generated intrusions, and customizable features. Whether it's dial-up, high-speed, Web hosting, or wireless Internet service, EarthLink provides the tools that best let individuals use and enjoy the Internet on their own terms. Learn more about EarthLink by calling (800) EARTHLINK or visiting EarthLink's Web site at www.earthlink.net .

SOURCE EarthLink

Carla Shaw, +1-404-748-7436, or mobile, +1-404-849-1140, or
shawcm@corp.earthlink.net, or Dan Greenfield, +1-404-748-6889, or
+1-404-432-6526, or greenfie@corp.earthlink.net, both of EarthLink

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