Spam's End Is Near, Says United Nations

GENEVA – The United Nations officially got involved in the global war on spam Tuesday, offering a solution that if adopted by governments and software companies could end the spam epidemic in two years.

The UN's involvement in the spam war comes at the behest of anti-spam advocacy groups who claim that if drastic measures aren't taken, spam will soon drive millions of users away from the Internet.

Officials running a three-day U.N. meeting told a news conference that porn, phishing and other forms of Internet fraud facilitated by spammers could effectively kill off Internet commerce if the problem isn't addressed and solutions applied swiftly.

"If we don't work together," said Robert Shaw, Internet strategy expert for the UN. "We may see millions of people abandoning the net entirely out of frustration and disgust."

Representatives for the UN are proposing strict legislation that would give governments the power to hold Internet service providers responsible for facilitating the circulation of spam. There would also be information compiled on all companies and individuals engaged in spamming in order to enforce criminal prosecutions on a global level.

According to the International Telecommunications Union, the spam scourge is costing the world an estimated $25 billion each year in fraud, worker productivity and network damage from viruses.

"If we achieve full international cooperation among governments and software companies, this plague which affects so many of us in our everyday life will be defeated in short order," said Robert Horton, Australia's top regulator.

So far the UN initiative has produced a memorandum of understanding between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia agreeing to share information on spammers, cooperate in tracking spammers, exchange evidence, facilitate law enforcement against spammers, and coordinate enforcement against international spam violations.

“Illegal spam does not respect national boundaries,” said Timothy Muris, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, in a statement. “This agreement is an important next step to help law enforcers leverage resources to combat illegal spam.”

The MOU also includes an agreement for representatives from those three countries to meet in October in London to discuss anti-spam enforcement efforts.

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Braindance Unveils '6DOF' VR Tech

Interactive virtual reality platform Braindance has debuted its new Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) VR technology.

Kiiroo, Pineapple Support Launch 'Empower Hour' Series on FeelHubX YouTube Channel

Kiiroo and Pineapple Support have teamed up to launch the “Empower Hour” series on the FeelHubX YouTube channel.

Kansas Law Firm Deploys Religion, Bunk Science While Recruiting Plaintiffs Under AV Law

Kansas-based personal injury law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley is promoting debunked scientific theories and leveraging religious affiliation against the industry while it seeks potential plaintiffs for lawsuits against adult companies under the state’s age verification law.

UK Tech Secretary Lists Age Verification Among OSA Priorities

Peter Kyle, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on Wednesday made public a draft version of his priorities for implementing the Online Safety Act (OSA), including age verification.

AEBN Publishes Popular Seraches by Country for September, October

AEBN has released its list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Avery Jane Featured on 'Adult Time Podcast'

Avery Jane is the latest guest on the “Adult Time Podcast,” hosted by studio CCO Bree Mills.

FSC: Kansas Law Firm Threatens Adult Site Over Age Verification

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has been notified that Kansas law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley has sent a letter threatening an adult website with a lawsuit for breaking the state's age verification law.

10th Circuit Rejects Final FSC Appeal in Utah AV Case

The United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit on Monday rejected a motion by Free Speech Coalition (FSC) requesting that the full court rehear its appeal in Free Speech Coalition v. Anderson, the industry trade association’s challenge to Utah’s age verification law.

Trump Nominates Project 2025 Contributor, Section 230 Foe to Chair FCC

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated, as his pick to head the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr — an author of Project 2025 who has called for gutting Section 230 protections.

Streamate's Elevate Partners With Miss Mei on Decriminalization Initiative

Streamate’s Elevate initiative is debuting a November collaboration with creator and community advocate Miss Mei that will highlight the modern criminalization of sex work.

Show More