The Australian Communications Authority (ACA) has recently had success with their tough new spam regulations that were introduced three months ago. Such was the success that several of the major spam email companies have stopped sending unsolicited and offensive emails.
Acting ACA Chairman, Dr Bob Horton, said, “The ACA’s initial focus was on spammers allegedly sending high volumes of offensive unsolicited material including pornography and marketing for products such as herbal Viagra”.
“At the end of the first three months of the Spam Act it appears that these particular major players have stopped operating in Australia because complaints about them stopped when the Act came in on 10 April.”
Dr Horton said that Spamhaus, the well-known international anti-spam watchdog, had confirmed the closure of these major spammers in Australia.
“As recently as last week, Spamhaus reported that there has been little or no activity by these particular major Australian-based spammers of offensive material since they were warned by the ACA about the new law.”
Dr Horton also stated that since the Act came in the ACA had received about 30,000 reports of spam, including more than 300 formal complaints.
Australia has signed memorandums of understanding with the Britain, the USA and South Korea, which allow each country’s anti-spam agencies to share information.
Last week Dr Horton attended a meeting of nations at the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva to discuss counter spam tactics.
“The meeting concluded with strong interest in international cooperation and joint action by regulators, industry and consumers, and confidence that spam could and would be effectively countered in the medium term,” he said.
Jeremy Muncy is a staff writer for www.murdok.org
