ValueClick to Pay $2.9M in Spam Case

Online advertiser ValueClick Inc. will pay $2.9 million to settle charges that it made deceptive claims in e-mails and online ads, a government agency said Monday.

Westlake Village, Calif.-based ValueClick had said last month it would pay the fine to settle the matter, without admitting that it violated any laws. The company said in February that it took a $2.9 million charge against fourth-quarter earnings to account for the settlement.

The fine is the largest ever imposed for a violation of the federal CAN-SPAM Act, the Federal Trade Commission said. The act, approved by Congress in 2003, bars deceptive practices in e-mail advertising.

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