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Spam : nuisance or menace, prevention or cure?
- Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice, no. 348
- ISBN 0 642 53875 1 ; ISSN 0817-8542
- Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, March 2005
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Abstract
Unfettered global communication through the internet has facilitated a massive intrusion of unsolicited commercial email messages, commonly known as spam. Currently accounting for as much as 65 per cent of all email, spam leads to productivity costs for businesses each year and is increasingly being used for the commission of crime. This paper discusses the increasing sophistication of the techniques used to obtain email addresses, and outlines and critiques a selection of legislation which aims to reduce or remove spam. It also examines a range of measures aimed at preventing spam from reaching its intended targets. It is argued that the mitigation of spam can only be achieved through a holistic approach taken by governments, law enforcement agencies, internet service providers, corporations and consumers.
Related links
- Media release: Spam emails increase business productivity costs
- Project information: United Nations transnational organised crime
- Related topic: Cybercrime
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