Commission outlines actions to combat spam
The Commission has outlined a number of actions to combat the growth of unsolicited e-mail, otherwise known as spam. Figures show that nearly 50 per cent of global e-mail traffic is spam, and for 2002 alone it is estimated that spam has cost European companies a total of 2.5 billion euro on account of reduced productivity. However, experts claim that the most worrying consequence of spam is perhaps its ability to undermine user confidence, which is the basis for successful e-commerce and e-services. Commenting on the proliferation of spam at a press conference on 15 July, EU Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society Erkki Liikanen said that combating spam is a matter for all stakeholders: 'The EU, Member States, industry and consumers all have a role to play in the fight against spam, both at the national and international level. We must act before users of e-mails or SMS stop using the Internet or mobile services, or refrain from using it to the extent that they otherwise would.' To tackle spam, Mr Liikanen said that certain legal, technical, social and educational issues must be addressed. On the legal side, the EU adopted a directive in July 2002 on privacy and electronic communications, detailing an 'opt in' approach whereby unsolicited mail, SMS, and MMS can only be sent to users who have given their prior consent. It also calls on Member States to ban spam and enforce the directive by no later than October. 'It is now up to Member States to live up to their commitments and respect this deadline. [I]t must be a priority for them to prosecute wrongdoers that are operating within that country,' said the Commissioner. In terms of finding technical solutions to spam, Mr Liikanen said that the right legal environment has been set to enable Internet service providers (ISPs) and industry to develop software facilities which block, as effectively as possible, unwanted e-mails, SMS and other MMS. 'Subscribers should be offered the possibility to filter spam or have spam filtered as a basic customer service,' he said. Other actions outlined by Mr Liikanen include the raising of awareness among consumers of the basic rules applicable to spam and of the software available to prevent such mail. 'Awareness actions should also be targeted at industry, [it] should know what marketing practices are acceptable or not,' added the Commissioner. However, because much spam comes from outside the EU, Mr Liikanen said it is essential to tackle spam at an international level. Mr Liikanen referred to efforts already underway in the United States and Australia to legislate against spam, and the importance of working together to harmonise these laws: 'the more similar these laws are, the better international enforcement will work.' In an effort to bring about multilateral actions against spam, Mr Liikanen announced that the Commission will host an OECD (organisation for economic cooperation and development) seminar on the subject in Brussels in January 2004. The Commission has also proposed the inclusion of the spam issue in the information society action plan, to be agreed at the forthcoming world summit on the information society in December. At EU level, Mr Liikanen said that the actions proposed will be further discussed with all interested stakeholders in a workshop in October. It is also expected that these actions will be included in a communication on spam, due for adoption in the autumn.
Countries
Australia, United States