UK and US spearhead attacks on spamming

Sharp rise in spam e-mail spurs Government action.

Recent explosive growth of unsolicited 'spam' e-mail has come under attack from both sides of the Atlantic. The British Data Protection Registrar (DPR) and the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have declared war on the spammers.

As the 1998 Data Protection Act received Royal Assent and became law, the UK Data Protection Registrar has signalled that it is upbeat about its ability to combat the problem.

"Spam e-mail is no different from any unsolicited communication. The Telecommunications Directive in the new Act means that messages can only be sent with the recipient's consent. If there is a complaint, our normal enforcement powers come into play," said David Smith, assistant registrar for policy and compliance.

Data protection registrar Elizabeth France conceded that the international nature of the internet presented problems. "We can't always find out where the original messages come from. But we are definitely seeing an increased willingness from the internet service providers to only host reputable companies and individuals."

Jodie Bernstein, director of the FTC's bureau of consumer protection, said: "Spam is a problem for practically everyone with a computer. It is annoying, it slows down the e-mail system, and a lot of it is fraudulent."

The FTC admitted that self-regulation and individual litigation have failed to stop the growth of spam. However, concerns over restricting free speech led the commission to pull back from recommending new legislation to slam the spammers.

Instead the FTC announced it will review a report presented to it by a working group made up of industry and consumer groups, including America OnLine and the Direct Marketing Association. The report claimed ISPs and consumers are the principal victims of spam and urged federal and state Governments to crack down on e-fraud and take the matter more seriously.