Michigan Children's Protection Registry : File a Complaint

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FILE A COMPLAINT

Marketers are forbidden from advertising certain products and services to children under Michigan law. Once an e-mail address or other electronic contact point is registered, senders of messages that advertise or link to prohibited products or services are required to remove the contact point from their mailing lists within 30 days.

The compliance mechanism used for scrubbing began November 16, 2005. A fee is charged per contact point checked to cover the cost of maintaining the registry and enforcing the law. The fee is currently set at seven tenths of a cent ($0.007). At this time you may visit this page to file a complaint against any marketers who send prohibited messages after November 16, 2005 to an address you have registered. You must be registered for at least thirty (30) days before you may file a complaint. To the extent possible, please retain copies of all messages you receive that are in violation of the law. These complaints are compiled and reported to the Office of the Attorney General for investigation.

Click Here to Start a New Complaint

Under the law, marketers are prohibited from sending messages containing or linking to any products or services that are illegal under Michigan law for children to purchase, obtain, view or participate in. These include, but are not necessarily limited to:

Alcohol
Tobacco
Pornography or Obscene Material
Gambling
Illegal Drugs
Firearms

Pursuant to MCL 752.1068, parents of children who receive messages that are in violation of the law may also file civil lawsuits against the senders of such messages on their children's behalf. These suits may seek actual damages or $5,000 per message plus costs and reasonable attorneys' fees.

Parents and other responsible parties should be aware that opening unwanted messages may pose security threats. The Protect MI Child Registry provides a tool for prosecutors to hold accountable those senders who target children with inappropriate messages. The Registry is not a filtering device. The law does not block all unwanted messages. Even if you register your children's e-mail addresses or other electronic contact points, it is still critical that you monitor your children when they are online. Please be advised that filing a complaint does not guarantee that the complaint will be pursued. In addition, the Attorney General maintains the discretion to terminate an investigation or prosecution of an alleged violation of PA 241 of 2004, section 5, at any time.