Little wiser now but no more effective...
By silicon.com
Published: 23 April 2004 08:55 GMT
23.04.99: The European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee has voted down an amendment that would have banned unsolicited email from being sent between EU member states.
Graham Watson, the UK MEP who authored the amendment, said businesses would be the losers if direct marketers were allowed continue sending spam email. His amendment would have banned all forms of unsolicited email used to make money - including charities asking for contributions.
23.04.04: The whole issue of spam is an area in which government has consistently failed to have any impact.
More is said about spam in the corridors of power nowadays - but much of that is about being seen to be doing, rather than actually doing, something about the problem. As more constituents complain about the spam in their inboxes, more MPs feel forced to raise questions - but they are probably as aware as anybody that their words carry little weight in this debate.
Spam is a technology issue. In terms of making it go away, filtering and thus cutting off the spammers 'credit' will prove most effective - chasing prosecutions would be great but it is costly, time consuming and inefficiently managed.
Most internet users would probably settle for the problem going away, even if it meant the spammers dissipated off scot-free into new forms of gainful employment.
The greatest misnomer among politicians is that by making spamming illegal and by telling spammers that's now the case, they will cease and desist. Tthese people have always know what they are doing is criminal - making new laws is unlikely to deter them.
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