# Unsubscribe **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsubscribe/758701 "2016-06-29T14:03:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![uttam54](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f19dbf/32.png) [@uttam54](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uttam54)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsubscribe/758701/1 "2016-06-29T14:03:06Z")
When you press the Unsubscribe button on junk mail, do they actually unsubscribe you or just pass on your address to some other junk mail company? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsubscribe/758701/2 "2016-06-29T14:10:00Z")
Reported for forum change. For a good percent of junk mail, clicking “unsubscribe” confirms for them that yeah they’ve got a live email address. Major companies are probably somewhat more likely to have an “opt-out” policy (after you give them your email address, they figure it’s OK to spam you as long as you have an unsubscribe link) wherein their unsubscribe links really do unsubscribe you. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsubscribe/758701/3 "2016-06-29T14:14:15Z")
**Moderator Action** Since this isn’t a message board issue, let’s move it to a more appropriate forum. It seems factual enough, so off to GQ it goes. Moving thread from About This Message Board to General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsubscribe/758701/4 "2016-06-29T14:17:50Z")
As AHunter said, if it’s from a ‘real’ company (ie Amazon, Kohls, Target, your local whatever store), hitting the unsubscribe button probably works, or at least it has the best of intentions. Spam, however, just delete it, don’t click it, don’t hit the ‘load remote content’ button, don’t even open it. In fact, if you’re using a client like Outlook or Thunderbird, I suggest getting rid of the preview pane since that alone can sometimes be enough to let the the spammer they have a live address. But, again, if you’re getting junk mail from a real company, go ahead an unsubscribe. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsubscribe/758701/5 "2016-06-29T14:20:10Z")
I recently changed jobs. I received a TON of business advertising via email in the old job. I spent a month or so clicking Unsubscribe religiously, and the amount of incoming declined significantly. That’s for legitimate business. Spammers are another matter altogether. ---
**Author:** ![albino\_manatee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/albino_manatee/32/2_2.png) [@albino\_manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/albino_manatee)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsubscribe/758701/6 "2016-06-29T15:34:13Z")
keeping in mind, you are referring this thread as being _“junk-mail/spam-mail”_. personally … i would never click _“unsubscribe”_ in spam-mail. simply clicking that link could bring up a page … _“onload”_ events, media-objects, server-calls or other malicious coding hidden within that page, can propagate a veritable pandora’s box. for businesses i subscribe to … i prefer going through their website/member-interface and unsubscribing. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsubscribe/758701/7 "2016-06-29T16:56:40Z")
> [@albino\_manatee](#): > > for businesses i subscribe to … i prefer going through their website/member-interface and unsubscribing. Many, possibly most unsubscribe links from legitimate business mailings are just a shortcut to do that very thing. ---
**Author:** ![albino\_manatee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/albino_manatee/32/2_2.png) [@albino\_manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/albino_manatee)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsubscribe/758701/8 "2016-06-29T23:21:07Z")
the predominant reason i utilize the user-interface within a subscribed website, rather than “email-unsubsribe” technique, is due to “phishing” … some emails can look very authentic.