Legal Definitions - Rhode Island

Rhode Island has laws that regulate commercial email, telemarketing, fax anti-solicitation, and computer-related crime.

Rhode Island's law on commercial email and spam is found in R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-47-2. This law prohibits sending unsolicited commercial email or spam to Rhode Island residents.

Example: A company sends an email to a Rhode Island resident advertising their products without the resident's permission. This is a violation of Rhode Island's law on commercial email and spam.

Rhode Island's law on telemarketing and telephonic anti-solicitation is found in R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 5-61-1 et seq. (Telephone Sales Solicitation Act). This law requires telemarketers to identify themselves and their purpose for calling, and prohibits them from calling Rhode Island residents who have registered on the National Do Not Call Registry.

Example: A telemarketer calls a Rhode Island resident and does not identify themselves or their purpose for calling. This is a violation of Rhode Island's law on telemarketing and telephonic anti-solicitation.

Rhode Island's law on fax anti-solicitation is found in R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-47-1. This law prohibits sending unsolicited faxes to Rhode Island residents.

Example: A company sends a fax to a Rhode Island resident advertising their products without the resident's permission. This is a violation of Rhode Island's law on fax anti-solicitation.

Rhode Island's law on computer-related crime is found in R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-52-1, 11-52-4.1, 11-52-6. This law prohibits various computer-related crimes, such as hacking, computer fraud, and identity theft.

Example: A person hacks into a Rhode Island resident's computer and steals their personal information. This is a violation of Rhode Island's law on computer-related crime.