FC: U.K.'s new advertising code cracks down on spam

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Wed Mar 05 2003 - 22:53:45 PST

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    From: J Armitage <j.armitageat_private>
    To: "'declanat_private'" <declanat_private>
    Subject: New advertising code cracks down on spam
    Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 14:37:05 -0000
    
    Declan
    
    Given politech's concern with spam recently, I thought politech subscribers
    may be interested in this (most likely unsuccessful!)  attempt to stop it
    form the UK.
    
    John
    
    ************************
    Dr John Armitage
    Head of Multidisciplinary Studies
    Room 441
    Northumberland Building
    School of Arts & Social Sciences
    Northumbria University
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE1 8ST, UK.
    Tel: 0191 227 4971
    Fax: 0191 227 4558
    E-mail: (w) j.armitageat_private
    (h) j.armitageat_private
    (h) johnarmitageat_private
    *******************************
    =====================
    
    New advertising code cracks down on spam
    Felicity Lawrence, consumer affairs correspondent
    Wednesday March 5, 2003
    The Guardian
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,907510,00.html
    Companies sending email or text message adverts will have to get the
    permission of recipients first, under rules published yesterday by the
    advertising standards authority.
    The growth in new media has been accompanied by a steep rise in junk mail on
    the internet and unwanted messages to mobile phones. The ASA has seen a
    six-fold rise in the number of complaints about direct marketing text
    messages in the past year.
    The new code of practice is an attempt to catch up with the technology and
    control some of the abuses. It says explicit consent must now be given for
    marketing by email or text message.
    Unsolicited email advertising (spam) must now also be clearly marked so
    recipients can see what it is before they open it.
    More than 76% of home email users receive spam every day, according to
    research conducted by Brightmail, a company that filters out 3bn unwanted
    emails a month for BT Openworld customers.
    BT Openworld welcomed the code but said no one organisation could solve the
    problem. "It can be quite difficult to control legally because emails are
    coming from all over the world," a spokesman, Tony Henderson, said.
    Most spammers obtain email addresses after people sign up for goods or
    newsletters on websites. But the technology also exists for companies to
    generate random addresses until some work. Computers generating random
    mobile numbers are also the source of many unsolicited text message adverts,
    although people signing up to services online frequently find their numbers
    passed on.
    Companies sending the messages often trick users into phoning premium rate
    numbers. Sending romantic messages from anonymous admirers is a favourite
    method. One complaint was about a text message advertisement that urged the
    recipient to report to an army recruitment centre.
    The code also covers online banner ads and pop-up ads on the internet.
    Andrew Brown, who is chairman of the ASA's committee of advertising
    practice, said: "Effective self-regulation is paramount to consumer
    confidence in marketing. We have to ensure that marketers have clear
    guidelines on how to keep their marketing communications legal, decent,
    honest and truthful."
    
    
    
    
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