Tech

Stop sending spam

So tomorrow, Statutory Instrument 2003 No. 2426 comes into force. This is the legal means by which the UK Government hopes to tackle the spam problem.

Here's the key paragraph:

A person shall neither transmit, nor instigate the transmission of, unsolicited communications for the purposes of direct marketing by means of electronic mail unless the recipient of the electronic mail has previously notified the sender that he consents for the time being to such communications being sent by, or at the instigation of, the sender.

And right on cue, tonight I've received the latest in a long line of unsolicited emails from a company I've never done business with, and who persistently ignore my requests to be removed from their mailing list. I've replied pointing out that if they send a similar message tomorrow they will be in breach of UK law.

It'll be interesting to see how things progress. Does the law really lack bite, as some in the antispam community suggest? Or will we at last see a reduction in the UK-to-UK spam?

Update 20:44
My reply has been rejected by antispam software at the company that's been sending me unsolicited mail! Well at least they're aware of the spam problem. Pity they don't seem to realise they're a huge part of it.