UK ISPs to Shut Down Spamvertised Websites

JebuZ writes "The Register is currently reporting that UK ISPs are targeting ecommerce websites run by spammers in a new 'get tough' policy on junk mail. ISPs belonging to the London Internet Exchange (LINX) have voted through a code of practice which gives them the mandate to shut down websites promoted through spam, even if junk mail messages are sent through a third-party or over a different network. The move is intended to remove the financial incentive to send spam." There's also a BBC story.

Comments

How long...

[FatRatBastard]

... until people start spamming using their competition's address to facilitate them getting thrown off their host?

Re:How long...

[Dark Lord Seth]

I'd assume that they'd check things out first. Besides, spamvertised websites are rather easy to recognize: I think 95% of all *.biz and *.info sites are spamvertised sites. There's also this whole thing about using fake names, no contact information, companies based in countries where the law isn't taken very seriously or where the law allows spamming, etc.

Re:How long...

[osgeek]

Not long. Not long at all.

Worse yet, spammers will put random innocent web sites in spam just to poison the process.

They'll do it. It's an obvious way to get ISPs to stop blocking web sites.

And this is interesting how?

[toygeek]

The Web Hosting company I work for has been doing this for years. You spam, you lose. Simple. From our AUP:
# UBE ("spam"): sending unsolicited bulk e-mail, using UBE, even if not sent from American Internet, to advertise (spamvertise) your site, providing any service to spammers such as mailboxes or Web sites.

Is this just now catching on? Shocking.

... and thus the casualties begin ...

[Montreal Geek]

I can see it now...

You have a competitor in UK? Eating through your market share?

We can take care of that! We, at SPAM, inc, will simply do a wave of aggressive spamming "touting" the virtues of your competitor, and arrange for a few hundred copies of that mailing to reach the sysadmin of the hosting ISP. Say "Goodbye!" to your competitor's web site!

And, for a small extra, we'll even include some advance fee fraud or otherwise illegal contents to the spam. Watch in glee as your competitors are harrased by the authorities to boot!

Hmmm. Sounds like a really, really good idea now doesn't it?

-- MG

This is a Very Good Thing

[tao_of_biology]

SPAM has become a total cancer on the internet. It's growing and sucking resources away from legitimate activities... it's discouraging use of email and costing ISPs and corporations way too much money.

This tumor is so rooted in the Internet, that there is no way to cut it all out without removing some healthy tissue. There is probably no perfect solution to this problem, but it HAS to be addressed.

I truly can't see people resorting to trying to advertise competitor's web sites via SPAM to get them shut down. They'd open themselves up to way too much liability if that actually happened.

IMHO: This solution does a pretty decent job of targetting the tumor without removing much healthy tissue. Again, no solution will perfectly home in on just spammers... innocents will always get caught up in the effort to remove this problem. The trick is to just come up with items and balance it's positive effects against its negative effects.

Re:Spam Whiners: Shit or get off the pot

[FatRatBastard]

Either somebody does *something*, however imperfect or flawed, or they do nothing. The whining and the complaining and the doing of nothing adds up to exactly nothing but noise.

It wasn't a whine nor a complaint. And it can have very serious reprocussions. How happy would you be if your legitimate, non-spamming online business was blacklisted because someone else forged fake spam?

I want actions taken, and I want them taken *now*. Collateral damage? Unavoidable -- any solution strong enough to work is going to cause collateral damage.

Wonderful attitude. "Fuck the innocent as long as I'm happy (and it doesn't happen to me)"

This system could be useful, but considering there was no detailed mention of how they're going to deal with this potential problem its a valid question.

Another nail in the spam coffin then

[SmallFurryCreature]

Spam is already becoming unreadable with the leet spelling and insertion of random words and phrases. Now they are going to link to random sites as well? So the customer, already not very bright, will now have to first do a enigma style decoding to get the sales messages and then do a guess as to wich link to click?

The harder spam becomes to send the better it is. There is no instant cure, stop watching Oprah you american. The real world requires you to work had on multiple fronts to solve a problem. This is just one tiny drop on the hot plate. But together with all the other little drops it is making a difference.

How many spamvertised sites are in the UK?

[EboMike]

When I submit my daily dose of spam to Spamcop, I can see that 90% of all websites referred to by spam mails are hosted in China and Brazil, and I don't think either country will do a similar move anytime soon.

It is already common practice for spammers to use bullet-proof hosts (which is even mentioned in TFA).

So I don't think this move will change anything as far as spam goes, but the potential for abuse (see some of the previous comments) will increase, given that most sites hosted by UK ISPS are legitimate.