States that set up "Do Not Email" child-protection registries actually put kids' contact info at risk, according to a letter by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) addressing proposed child protection legislation in Illinois, but also apparently aimed at warning other states that already have or are planning to set up such lists, writes ClickZ. Utah and Michigan have passed legislation to create such lists, and the Illinois bill was nearly identical to those states' but has since died in committee.

The FTC says such registries - since they consist of verified email addresses - allow unscrupulous marketers to identify and sell to kids while legitimate marketers are hurt because they must spend time and money to compare their lists against the registries.

"The FTC doesn't have the ability to directly speak to Michigan or Utah unless asked. The timing of this letter is not coincidental and is entirely related to the Michigan and Utah…registries," Trevor Hughes, executive director of the E-mail Service Provider Coalition is quoted as saying.