INTERNET BUSINESS NEWS-(C)1995-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

A software engineer for Internet service provider AOL has been charged with conspiracy after he allegedly sold the e-mail addresses of the ISP's 90m subscribers to a spam company.

The 24-year-old man is accused of passing the confidential information from AOL's offices in Virginia to a 21-year-old man in Las Vegas who allegedly used the addresses to send out adverts for his online gambling concern and then sold them to other 'spammers'.

The two men face a fine of at least USD250,000 and up to five years in jail. AOL said that it was reviewing its internal procedures following the man's arrest, reports the BBC.

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