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The UK Government is expected to issue a public consultation document this month on how best to implement an EU directive on ways of curbing spam. The EU E-Commerce directive will require senders of unsolicited commercial email to identify it as such, so that the recipient is fully aware of the nature of the communication.
What method will be used for flagging the spam to the user is still under discussion but it could include tagging messages. Whether the intended recipients delete the spam or ISPs get rid of it on their servers before it even hits the mailbox is another point which the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will put forward for discussion in the consultation document.
The DTI is also considering whether or not to make it mandatory for senders of unsolicited mail to add 'opt-outs'.
However, many user groups condemn the directive, which must be implemented by 16 January 2002, as not being powerful enough to deter spammers. The same is true, they say, of the Telecommunications Data Protection directive, currently in draft form, which also includes anti-spam measures.
Others feel that all legislation is a lost cause, citing the failure of regulations which are already on the books. They point out that because the internet is a global medium, spammers will only begin to operate from countries that don't have anti-spam legislation.
"Legislation won't stop spam. Users and companies have to protect themselves. There has to be a technical solution," said Simon Judge of Popuce, a company offering a service which provides a buffer against spam.
The Popuce solution can be run by ISPs or individuals and automatically checks email before it reaches a mailbox. Offending emails are identified by various methods such as blacklists and keywords.
Popuce can then either automatically delete the spam or users can create another email account to forward the messages to in case they want to check them first.
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