Regulators across the world
are now taking the fight against spam more seriously than ever before
and this was reflected in the Australian Communications
and Media Authority’s successes earlier this month.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
recently achieved
success in two different cases involving spammers. One case resulted in
cumulative
fines of $22 million, while the other involved bringing ‘the world’s
biggest spammer’ to book.
With over 20 other investigations in progress, the ACMA has
taken up the responsibility
of enforcing anti-spam
legislations, which have been in place for more than
five years now. These initiatives by the ACMA reflect the global trend
where
regulators are beginning to take stronger action against spammers.
While proactive measures by regulators comprise one part of
the battle
against
spam, users are gradually awakening to the idea that
unsolicited email coming
to their inboxes isn’t acceptable. According to ACMA reports, the
number
of quarterly spam complaints has risen by roughly 50%.
However, as far as user education is concerned, the ACMA
claimed there remains
much to be done. A recent survey indicated that as many as 20% of
Australians
haven’t even heard of the term ‘spam’. And it’s not
just Australians, regulators across the world feel there is a need for
the
Internet-using public to understand the menace of spam and be educated
on the
way to deal with it.
As instances of spam and its associated fraud rise, regulators
are finding
that greater vigilance, harsher penalties and user education are key
focus
areas going forward. Meanwhile, organizations and businesses must take
the
effort to develop systematic processes and follow best practices when
it comes
to their email marketing.
Source: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26500071-952,00.html
