What are the government and industry doing about spam?

The following information has been compiled thanks to the help of The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Industry Codes of Practice: to complement the Spam Act 2003, ACMA has worked with the ISP and e-marketing industries to develop draft codes of practice to reduce the amount of spam entering and propagating across the Internet, and to curtail the illegal activities of Australian spammers.

The ISP Code of Practice is under development by the Internet Industry Association (IIA), in conjunction with its sister organisations in Western Australia and South Australia (WAIA and SAIA).  The ISP Code of Practice will cover internet and email service providers and is expected to be presented to ACMA for registration in the near future.

The eMarketing Code of Practice was registered by the ACA on 16 March 2005.  The eMarketing Code of Practice sets out the practices that must be followed by e-marketers when sending promotional messages by email or non-voice mobile channels, to distinguish legitimate e-marketers from illegitimate spammers.

The eMarketing Code of Practice was developed by a committee of industry, consumer and Government bodies and organisations representing the eMarketing industry; the group was chaired by the Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA).

Click here to read more about the eMarketing Code of Practice.

The Australian Government's anti-spam strategy: as a government body, ACMA is directly enforcing the Spam Act, monitoring spamming activities, promoting public education, developing technological solutions and working internationally to combat spam. To read more about ACMA's five-way strategy for combating spam, see Spam – General Information.

Unfortunately, much of the spam that affects Australians comes from overseas. Efforts to combat spam on a national level are necessary, but significant long term gains will only come about through cooperative arrangements with other countries and relevant international bodies; the Australian government is at the forefront of establishing and strengthening these international arrangements.

Other articles that may help:

What Is Spam?
Why Is Spam A Problem?
Australia's Anti-Spam Law
How can I avoid sending spam?
Spam Exemptions
Government/Industry spam actions
Security tips for your server