Online Marketing: British anti-spam policies fail to address problem

A report by the Office of the Information Commissioner, (ICO) reveals that British ISPs and the government are not doing enough to tackle spam.

Although 600 complaints were lodged in the last twelve months, no legal action was ever taken. The ICO claims it does not have the necessary powers to go after or prosecute spammers.

One problem facing the ICO is the long and cumbersome appeals process when Enforcement Notices are issued. During the Information Tribunal procedure spammers can continue their activities.

ISPs are reluctant to block spam at source owing to fears of so-called 'false positives' where a legitimate message is mistakenly blocked.