MSN, Yahoo! and AOL join to fight spam
Published: 28 Apr 2003 14:23 BST
AOL, Yahoo! and Microsoft on Monday sketched a broad outline that calls for technical changes to email to make it more difficult to send the widely reviled messages. Among the steps are plans to hinder spammers from creating multiple fraudulent email accounts in bulk and to determine the real identity of the senders.
The three companies said they will work with organisations across the industry to drive technical standards and guidelines that will work across any software or hardware systems. They also said they will work with companies that regularly communicate with consumers and businesses through email to help them become aware of what is considered spam.
One of the most oppressive aspects of connecting to the Net, spam wreaks havoc for computer users and for Internet companies such as AOL, MSN, Yahoo! and EarthLink.
AOL and Microsoft recently filed suit separately against individuals and companies that are allegedly blasting spam to their members.
The problem has become so widespread that federal lawmakers are trying to craft policy to punish spammers. Earlier this month, a pair of US senators reintroduced a bill, called the CAN-SPAM Act, that would make it a federal offence to send spam using false return e-mail addresses. Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, also has proposed legislation to combat spam.
At this time, there is no US law regulating spam. But even if there were legislation in place, its reach would be limited because much of the unsolicited mail that floods computer systems emanates from overseas. The Federal Trade Commission, which is holding a spam conference this week, has prosecuted spammers using consumer fraud charges.
Most Internet service providers and email services offer technologies to block spam. But in a cat-and-mouse game, the spammers regularly figure out how to bypass the blocks. With individual filters routinely fooled by spammers, AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo! said that a concerted effort may be the best way to fight spam.
"Spam is an industrywide challenge, requiring industrywide teamwork, in order to yield industrywide solutions," Ted Leonsis, AOL's vice chairman, said in a statement. "By cooperating and collaborating together, we can make real progress against this toxin that pollutes the Internet environment."
The companies said they will continue to work with law enforcement to deter those who fraudulently skirt antispam filters or otherwise violate applicable law. In this effort, the companies said they would develop better mechanisms for preserving electronic evidence related to spamming activity and cooperate with other Internet service providers to track down spammers.
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