AOL blocks websites to scupper spammers

AOL is claiming that it's winning the battle against spam but its latest tactic of blocking access to spammers' websites hasn't gone down well with everyone.

The theory behind AOL's latest anti-spam tactic is that by blocking access to spammers' homepages – where users go to buy the goods the bulk mailers are flogging – it will cut off the spammers' incomes and make the whole junk email racket not financially worthwhile for them.

If users try to click through to a website which has been blocked, they get a message that says it wasn't possible to make a connection with the site but doesn't give any more detail or highlight the anti-spam nature of the blocking.

Which sites are blocked are all down to complaints from AOL's members, according to a report in the Washington Post. The crux of the problem is that some of AOL's users do want to buy the spammers' products or they wouldn't be visiting the sites in the first place, leaving the ISP with the tricky question of how to balance the varying needs of its users.

Some believe the ISP is on dodgy ground legally and that it may be messing with the all-important constitutional right to free speech.

AOL has made tackling spam one of its top priorities and recently joined up with rivals MSN, EarthLink and Yahoo in filing a case to sue spammers. The Time Warner subsidiary has also given its backing to a bill in the US state of Minnesota that, if it comes into law, will see convicted spammers liable for jail time and fines if they use deceit to get into people's inboxes.

According to Reuters, AOL believes it's winning the war. The US' largest ISP said that its email network had seen a 27 percent drop since 20 February when spammers attempted to send 2.6 billion messages, compared to a total of 1.9 billion on 17 March.

AOL was not available for comment.