Mt. Pleasant Must Fight Against Resident’s Quest for Town E-Mail List
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
I encourage the Town of Mount Pleasant to continue to fight against Jim Russell’s request for the e-mail addresses of subscribers to the Town’s E-News.
Russell argues that the town has “failed to keep residents abreast of key matters until too late…something that he would likely do if he gains access to the e-mail list.” If Russell wants to make his own newsletter, he is welcome to do so; however, unilaterally enrolling every resident who signed up for the official Town E-News to his own communications is not the way to do it.
No one is automatically signed up for the Town E-News, and no one should automatically be signed up for whatever Russell plans to send out.
“Everyone benefits from this,” Russell said.
I see absolutely no benefit to residents from receiving unwanted and unasked for e-mails.
“The only nuisance is one click of the mouse to delete something,” Russell said. I notice he says “delete” and not “unsubscribe.” Is he going to use an official newsletter platform with a required unsubscribe option? Or is he planning to e-mail residents directly, with no one-click way to opt out – and no guarantee that he would even use “bcc” to avoid sharing residents’ e-mail addresses with everyone else on the e-mail list?
The state Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that Russell is entitled to the list “as long as he does not use the information for any commercial purposes, solicitation, or fundraising efforts.” But what prevents him from doing so, and what redress do residents have if he does? The e-mail addresses cannot be taken back once given.
I am astonished the Appellate Division has taken such a cavalier position on resident privacy.
Alex Kiffer
Pleasantville
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