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UK And EU May Make Unsolicited Email Illegal

Posted by timothy on from the as-well-they-ought dept.

An anonymous reader writes "According to this BBC article the UK and the EU are planning to making unsolicited email simply illegal. This doesn't do anything for prevention practically, but it does legally pave the way for measures that do. Lord Sainsbury of Turville admits it will do nothing to stop spam from outside the EU."

4 of 334 comments (clear)

  1. UK and the EU? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Last time I checked, UK was a part of the EU, and has been for decades. :P

  2. It will work. by qute · · Score: 5, Informative

    In Denmark it is already illegal for companies(but not people) to send out SPAM.

    If the EU makes SPAM illegal, then spammers cannot SPAM from the EU.
    US is also trying to stop SPAM.

    Lets say these countries are the only ones to do something. It will still work!

    Currently I put everything from china into my SPAM-folder and by golly, I'll just blacklist every country that doesn't have anti-SPAM laws.

    Problem (almost) solved :-)

    --
    -- Make software not war
  3. EU has already made UCE illegal by kaip · · Score: 5, Informative

    EU has already made unsolicited commercial email (UCE) illegal, see article 13 of the Directive on privacy and electronic communications (2002/58/EC), after intense lobbying e.g. by EuroCAUCE.

    The directive must be implemented by the member states by 31 October 2003.

    (I just wrote statement [in Finnish] to the Finnish ministry of transports and communications on behalf of Electronic Frontier Finland of our proposed local implementation of the directive (which at the current form would allow ask-permission-spam (i.e. you would be allowed to send spam to ask permission to send more spam. :( )))

  4. Re:This is poorly thought out. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    > Joe comes across slashdot and, offended by the diatribe, writes an angry flame in disagreement and e-mails it to Bill

    (40) Safeguards should be provided for subscribers against intrusion of their privacy by unsolicited communications for direct marketing purposes in particular by means of automated calling machines, telefaxes, and e-mails, including SMS messages. These forms of unsolicited commercial communications may on the one hand be relatively easy and cheap to send and on the other may impose a burden and/or cost on the recipient. Moreover, in some cases their volume may also cause difficulties for electronic communications networks and terminal equipment. For such forms of unsolicited communications for direct marketing, it is justified to require that prior explicit consent of the recipients is obtained before such communications are addressed to them.

    > excuse for the idea that Bill has entered into a business relationship with it, and then sends Bill spam forever without a clear sign of how to remove himself from their lists?

    (41) Within the context of an existing customer relationship, it is reasonable to allow the use of electronic contact details for the offering of similar products or services, but only by the same company that has obtained the electronic contact details in accordance with Directive 95/46/EC. When electronic contact details are obtained, the customer should be informed about their further use for direct marketing in a clear and distinct manner, and be given the opportunity to refuse such usage. This opportunity should continue to be offered with each subsequent direct marketing message