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Spam In The News |
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You are not the only one with a spam problem. More and more, spam is reported as major problem
in the mainstream press and in legislatures around the country and world. Check here often
for the latest news on the spam crisis and efforts to solve it.
December 2003
09-Dec-2003: Congress Passes Anti-Spam Bill
The new legislation Congress approved to stem the flood of unwanted e-mails
will require a fundamental change in ways that Internet users respond to
overflowing inboxes. President Bush has indicated he intends to sign the
bill.
November 2003
17-Nov-2003: Microsoft Exchange Server Can Send Spam
Article explains how the "guest" account on many Microsoft Exchange servers
allow spammers to use the server as an open relay--adding to the spam problem.
Microsoft denies it is a major problem.
17-Nov-2003: Direct Marketers Fear CAN-Spam Law Won't Be Passed
Direct Marketers, eager for the Federal Government to pass the CAN-Spam law which
would override stricter state anti-spam laws, are preparing to comply with
California's anti-spam law as of January 1st. They had hoped that federal legislation
would override California's strict laws but the lack of action in the U.S. House of
Representatives has them preparing for the "worst."
14-Nov-2003: Main Sues AOL for Allowing Spam Through
In a good example of going after the wrong party, a man in Portland Maine
attempted to sue AOL because he was getting too much spam. Of course, the
man should have gone after the spammers--not AOL. The case was rejected
in Maine, though the man has the option of filing the case in Virginia
where AOL is based.
06-Nov-2003: State Attorney Generals Want to Can the Can Spam Bill
AGs from California, Kansas, Maryland, Nevada, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and
Washington signed the letter, which said that the amended act has so many
loopholes, exceptions and standards of proof that it won't protect consumers.
06-Nov-2003: Canadian man charged with e-mail hoax
A Connecticut woman, fed up with suspicious e-mail pitches promising millions from
Nigeria, is taking credit for helping catch a Canadian man accused of fraud.
04-Nov-2003: Spam's Well-Known Suspects
If you have ever entered a contest, subscribed to an online newsletter
or simply bought a product on the Web, you may have also agreed, as many
such fine-print contracts put it, to receive valuable offers from our
marketing partners.
04-Nov-2003: E-mail scam extracts bank customer details
A sophisticated e-mail scam has tricked more than 200 people into handing over
their bank account details and putting their savings at risk.
October 2003
28-Oct-2003: British MPs demand spam protection for businesses
The UK government has been warned that firms may 'rise up in anger'
unless they are given protection from unsolicited junk mail.
28-Oct-2003: National Spam Bill Takes Teeth out of Tough State Laws
If the federal anti-spam proposal becomes law, the federal statute would
trump states' laws before the states' measures even go into effect.
24-Oct-2003: California wins its first anti-spam judgment
California won its first anti-spam judgment Friday when a court fined
a marketing firm $2 million for sending out millions of unsolicited
e-mails telling people how to spam, the state's attorney general said.
23-Oct-2003: Senate OKs do-not-spam plan
The Senate unanimously approved an anti-spam bill Wednesday, significantly
increasing chances that Congress will enact the nation's first law restricting
unsolicited e-mail before the end of the year.
August 2003
21-Aug-2003: FTC chief says anti-spam bills won't work
Internet users fed up with the seemingly endless flow of spam should pin
their hopes on technological solutions rather than legislative ones, a top U.S.
regulator said this week.
19-Aug-2003: Spam King Shuts Down
A New Zealander who sent millions of junk emails out every day has
shut his business after his personal details were posted on the web.
18-Aug-2003: Internet Information Scam Uses Citi Logo
Citigroup Inc.'s corporate logo is the latest one to be lifted by
Internet scammers as a way to steal information from unwitting consumers.
11-Aug-2003: The Secret Tricks that Spammers Use
Investigates how spammers conceal their identity and attempt to send
spam anonymously by using email viruses to infect user computers
which are then used to send out spam.
08-Aug-2003: A reluctant conclusion: We're Stuck With Spam
Investigates how easy it is to obtain the necessary software to find
email addresses and spam them. Conclusion of the author is that we're
pretty much stuck with spam because it's so easy to do.
08-Aug-2003: Brussels places ban on unsolicited junk emails
New European law bans all unsolicited email except those which are
delivered on an opt-in basis.
08-Aug-2003: Who profits from spam?
Article investigates the source of a spam and who ultimately profits
from it. A mortgage spam is replied to and false information provided,
leading to call-backs from Ameriquest, Quicken, and LoanWeb.
08-Aug-2003: DMA-Delayed Best Practices Skirt Spam, Permission Issues
The Direct Marketing Association's new "best practices" document avoids
defining what spam is and doesn't even specify whether members should
use an opt-in or opt-out approach to mailing.
07-Aug-2003: Anti-spam law won't help as much as people expect
Article explains that much of spam is sent to users that requested
it without realizing it because they didn't opt-out of the option
at the time they placed an order with a company.
06-Aug-2003: Ticketmaster privacy/spam policy criticized
Ticketmaster shares personal information regarding its web customers,
including email addresses, with their business partners. These
business partners may use the information in any way they desire and
can--and do--spam Ticketmaster customers.
July 2003
30-Jul-2003: Spam Clogging Internet's Arteries
Article indicates that more than half of all email is spam, and it
threatens to drown out legitimate email communication.
May 2003
28-May-2003: Challenge-Response Spam killers may lock up your email
Article discusses the problem of the "challenege-response" approach to spam blocking such
as that used by SpamArrest and EarthLink.
22-May-2003: A Spammer Speaks Out
As a Senate committee sought answers yesterday on how to curb the overwhelming surge of
junk e-mail, one of the nation's most notorious spammers told members just how hard their
job would be.
22-May-2003: Lawmakers, tech industry push spam law
A broad international effort by government and industry is needed to stop the torrent of junk
e-mail that threatens Internet commerce and correspondence, lawmakers were told Wednesday.
21-May-2003: Choking on spam
Junk e-mail is costing money and causing headaches for government and businesses. By some
estimates it will cost the American economy $10 billion this year.
21-May-2003: You've got spam (very likely from a hijacked computer)
Explanation of how spammers are hijacking "open relays" or compromised computers
to send their spam and hide their identities.
20-May-2003: N.Y. Senate wants to cut the spam
Senate proposals would attempt to use laws, backed by $500 fines per violation, to choke
off the unwanted ads, or 'spam.'
16-May-2003: Spam Fighters Invoke Racketeering Law
Congress is getting the chance to get tough on spam with the introduction of legislation
that would let federal authorities charge some spammers with racketeering crimes.
14-May-2003: 'Buffalo Spammer' Arrested
Howard Carmack, the notorious 'Buffalo Spammer' accused of sending more than 825 million
unsolicited e-mails from illegal EarthLink accounts, has been arrested
and arraigned in New York on four felony and two misdemeanor counts.
13-May-2003: Draft of Bill On Mass E-Mail Is Called Weak
New proposed federal legislation proposed by Reps. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-La.)
and F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) would weaken existing state anti-spam laws
and prohibit individuals from suing spammers and would give companies the right to
spam anyone they've done business with in the last 3 years.
13-May-2003: Proposed Spam Bill Would Favor Mass E-Mailers
New proposed legislation by Reps. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R.-La.) and F. James Sensenbrenner
(R.-Wis.) would provide some consumer protection, but mostly favor spammers.
13-May-2003: 'Spam' could cost Staten Island businesses millions per year
The spam problem is costing Staten Island computer users millions of dollars per year, a
"catastrophic waste of time."
13-May-2003: U.S. Senator Nelson to launch attack on spam
Nelson's bill would allow prosecutors to use federal racketeering laws against the worst
of the marketeers, including those who conceal their identity with forged e-mail addresses.
13-May-2003: CA Assembly Passes Backup Spam Bill
California Asssembly passeses law giving California residents the right to sue spammers in
violation of California law for $1000 per spam or for actual damages, whichever is greater.
12-May-2003: Legislate Away Spam? It Ain't Going To Happen, Say Analysts
Analysts and anti-spam activists agree that the solution to spam isn't legislation, but
technical means.
12-May-2003: SEC reaches deal in spam fraud case
K.C. Smith, one of the Internet's most notorious spammers, agreed to pay $100,000 to settle
a case with the SEC regarding the promotion of phony investment opportunities.
07-May-2003: Judge awards EarthLink $16 million over 'spam' e-mail
A judge awarded Earthlink a judgement of $16 million against a spammer based in Buffalo.
The spammer was accused of using Earthlink to send his spam and doing so with stolen
identities and credit card numbers.
06-May-2003: UK and EU Governments to crack down on spam
The European Union is expected to pass an anti-spam measure that will make spam
illegal throughout EU member states. This is expected by October.
05-May-2003: Even Tough Laws May Not Kill Spam
Disagreement whether even tough federal laws will solve the spam problem. Suggests
that the solution is technical and that technical solutions should be given an opportunity
to work and evolve before new laws are passed.
05-May-2003: Washington Bids to Can Spam
The posibility of federal anti-spam legislation, according to this article, is no longer
a question of "if" but rather "how much?"
02-May-2003: FTC: Spam E-Mails More Prevalent Than Thought
FTC forum on spam problem concludes that spam has reached a critical threshold
that requires immediate solutions.
01-May-2003: Experts warn spam could ruin e-mail
During first day of "spam summit," experts declare spam could ruin e-mail and must be stopped.
April 2003
30-Apr-2003: FTC: Two-thirds of all spam is fraudulent
FTC issues finding that states that two-thirds of all spam contains some fraudulent, false, or misleading
information.
30-Apr-2003: Virginia threatens spammers with jail time
New Virginia state law provides for seizing of assets and jail time for convicted spammers.
28-Apr-2003: E-Mail Providers Join to Fight Spam
America Online, Microsoft, and Yahoo join together to fight the growing problem
of spam via technical and legal means.
17-Apr-2003: FTC Cracks Down on Deceptive Spam
Federal regulators want to shut down a spam operation that uses deceptive subjects
to trick users into viewing pornographic spam.
15-Apr-2003: AOL Files Five Lawsuits Against Spammers
America Online filed five lawsuits against a dozen spam companies and individuals
seeking $10 million in damages and court orders to stop spamming immediately.
February 2003
20-Feb-2002: AOL to Try Harder to Fight Spam
America Online to form a task force to push for tougher legislation against spammers.
December 2002
17-Dec-2002: AOL Wins Spam Suit for $7 million
America Online won a $7 million court judgement against pornography spammers.
12-Dec-2002: Spam may overtake e-mail in 2003
Spam is predicted to amount to more than 50% of all email traffic in 2003.
February 2002
21-Feb-2002: Spam taking a toll on business systems
Businesses forced to avoid publishing email addresses to prevent spam abuse.
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