The Internet-based sector of the payday loan industry began in the 1990s, when the CAN-SPAM Act didnt yet exist.. Thats because the Act didnt exist back then. But as the popularity of the payday lending industry has grown, along with the popularity of all sorts of online businesses, it was time for the false claims and the intrusive nature of e-mail marketing to come under control once and for all. When the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 became reality, the online payday lending industry took notice.