Key Issues
Return to Spam main pageSpam Policy Primer
As spam has grown to be a major concern for all Internet users, policy makers are increasingly drafting and implementing public policies to combat this phenomenon. Governments are undertaking the fight against spam through a range of initiatives working with a range of other actors, from private sector, the technical community, etc., at the national and international levels These multi-stakeholder approaches are generally recognized as being the most effective way of addressing spam.
Anti-spam Policy Key points
Anti-spam policies imply continuous and combined efforts in different fields:- combining technical, legal and educational resources;
- engaging private and public sectors in a close collaboration process;
- collaborating at international level with intergovernmental and multilateral organisations.
Combining technical, legal and educational resources
The special OECD Taskforce against spam established in 2004 immediately recognized that the implementation of a series of actions on several levels was required: the effective application of anti-spam law, awareness raising, the development of technical solutions and strong international cooperation.
Various technical measures - see www.oecd-antispam.org - are currently available; each one can play a role in the battle against spam. The OECD toolkit recommends combining these tools with appropriate regulations, education and international cooperation.
Engaging private and public sectors in a close collaboration process
Coordination is needed within the private and the public sectors. In the latest for instance, regulatory authorities, private data protection authorities, special cyber-police forces, the ministry of Justice and the ministry of Foreign Affairs must all closely work together. This close cooperation permits to quickly counter various types of content associated with spam: viruses, trojans, criminal content (eg. pedo-pornography), etc.
Additionally and considering the technical aspects of the fight against spam, public authorities need to engage in a continuous dialogue with experts of the technical community (e.g. ISPs), e-merchants and organizations representing Internet users.
Collaboration at international level with intergovernmental and multilateral organizations
Finally, in view of the global nature of spam, international cooperation on enforcement is essential to ensure the effectiveness of anti-spam rules. This international dimension is crucial, since spam comes from outside national borders in most countries, often originating in a limited number of specific countries. Participating in the London Action Plan or supporting Spotspam, an international spam box project, are efficient ways of coordinating efforts of different regions of the world.
