Creating the account and confirming your email address is the opt-in, for certain things.
For example, it's reasonable for an account manager to email you as a customer and see how the product demo is going and ask if you need any help with something. If you don't care to hear from them, then let them know but that is not spam.
Spam is sending someone email when they've never contacted you before or still sending someone messages when they've asked you to stop.
Spam is unsolicited bulk email. Since too many services ask for an email address, and do not ask permission to email you anywhere in the sign up, many services are on the spammy end of just about acceptable. Really, it's a misuse of the "Emailing someone who has a business relationship to you is fine" clause. People creating an account out of curiosity do not have a business relationship and are not really giving you permission to email them.
People need to understand this because receivers will happily misuse spam reporting tools. Even when following best current practice some email will end up flagged as spam, but this can be improved by following bcp.
Just for extra clarity because I mangle this stuff sometimes.
> Spam is sending someone email when they've never contacted you before
That's why the email address needs to be confirmed; to prevent someone using another person's email address. That doesn't need to be malicious. There are examples of people mistyping domain names and having all their email sent somewhere else.
> or still sending someone messages when they've asked you to stop.
Really people need to include a checkbox, that defaults to [NO], asking for permission to send email when the account is created. Just being given an email address isn't enough, especially if one is needed to see anything about the product.
Spam is more than bulk email. Spam is being followed/unfollowed on twitter to get your attention. Spam is a linked in invite from someone you've never heard of. Spam is a flyer on your car window. Spam is the door menu for the local pizza store.
Spam is someone contacting you to market a product when they have never had contact with you otherwise.
> For example, it's reasonable for an account manager to email you as a customer and see how the product demo is going and ask if you need any help with something. If you don't care to hear from them, then let them know but that is not spam.
Remember that "Do Not Track" header? I kind of wish that had gone forward, but slightly differently--with something more like a "Don't Try To Interact With Me; Pretend I'm Not Here" header.
You know how, in most brick-and-mortar shops, it's a sales rep's obligation to make sure that every customer in the store has been asked "if they need anything" at least once? And how for a certain subset of the population, you often wish you could come into the store with a big flashing neon banner above your head saying "I'M JUST BROWSING THANKS" so they'd know in advance not to do it? ...except that, obviously, that would be horrible?
On the internet, it wouldn't have to be horrible at all.
It is beyond easy to do that online. Get a throwaway email address that's only used when you don't want to be contacted. If you end up liking the product and want to interact with the company, fill out their change of email form.
If they default to opt-in, instead of default to opt-out, then it's spam.