WeHo Launches Anti-'Door Spam' Effort To Keep Away Unwanted Ads

WEST HOLLYWOOD (CBS) — A bilingual effort to keep advertisements and flyers from blanketing the porches of West Hollywood homes was underway on Friday.

The "Stop Door Spam" campaign will provide residents with placards in both English and Spanish telling advertisers to stay way from their home.

City Mayor Pro Tem Jeffrey Prang told KNX 1070 the campaign is aimed at giving residents the tools they need to fight off unwanted clutter.

"It's really a public education program where residents can help themselves," said Prang. "The city has printed up placards and door hangers that you can place outside your door that says you don't want these materials."

Residents can also download a warning letter to send to businesses or report a stubborn advertiser through the city's official website.

A similar program in Long Beach has seen its so-called "door spam" cut by an estimated 60 percent.

Prang said the practice isn't merely an aesthetic concern for homeowners.

"If you're away from home for any period of time more than a couple days, it almost is a signal to potential burglars that this home is either unoccupied or people are away," he said.

Section 5.124.060 of the West Hollywood municipal code "prohibits distributing advertising materials on private property when appropriate signage is present", which the city claims does not fall under First Amendment protections for campaign literature.