---
title: 'Lecture 12 SPAM Control'
disqus: hackmd
---

:::info
ST2502 Computer Law & Investigation
:::

Lecture 12 SPAM Control
===

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## Table of Contents

[TOC]

Introduction to Spam
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- spam - __unsolicited commercial electronic msgs (UCE)__ sent via electronic mail or mobile phones
- source of email obtained by spammers usually from
- addresses of recipients from webpages
- databases
- guessing common names
- domains
- dictionary attacks
- born in Phoenix Arizona 1994
- 2 lawyers sent ads on internet to 8000 usernet newsgrps & it reached 20m quickly resulting in crashing of ISP's primitive servers
- new marketing technique born

- jump in email traffic from 7% in 2001 to 50% in 2003 in some coutnries
- IDA study - 1.33m people spammed in SG 2003

IDA-AGC Proposed Legal Framework on SPAM
---
- actions taken
- public consultation May-June 2004
- collab with ISPs, CASE (consumer association of sg), DMAS (direct marketing association of sg), SBF (sg business federation, SiTF (sg infocomm tech federation, now SGTech)
- idea is to introduce multi-pronged approach to fight email spam

- definition of spam under IDA - unsolicited commercial email msgs
- e-advertising = UCE +
- opt-out option (functional)
- appropriate labelling
- Eg. advertising (ADV)
- commercial comms exclude comms between
- private indivs
- gov to citizen comms
- appeals for donations by charities/religious orgs
- msgs purely factual in nature


### Opt-Out System
- distirbuting model of sending unsolicited email & allowing recipient to request removal
- permits sender to send spam emails to intended recipients until they're asked by recipients to stop sending
- proposed legislation not against UCE if has opt-out regime

#### Opt-Out Regime
- ea UCE shld have valid return email address
- other langs + eng
- opt-out mechanism shld be functional
- sender must comply with opt out request within certain timeframe
- sender shld not pass recipient email to other business partners

#### Requirements - Labelling Standards
- subj titles shld not be misleading
- subj titles shld contain ADV - ad
- email msgs shld not have false header
- email msgs shld have genuine email address/postal

#### Advantages
- reduce burden on businesses in compying with regulations
- avenue for conducting legit businesses
- consumers enjoy free access to info
- consumers enjoy option to prohibit & select info
- minimum standards/requirements in place

#### Minimum Standards
- valid email address for recipient to send for opting out
- at least 1 set of opt-out instructions in english
- functional
- no transfer of email address by sender
- specified timeframe

### Opt-In System
- sender cannot send spam until recipient indicated that he's willing to receive it
- characterised by recipients having signed up websites, special ad banners or marketing channels
- those who signed up has "opted-in"
- any emails sent wont be unsolicited

#### Diff between Opt-In & Opt-Out

IDA-AGC Proposal
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### Application of Legislation
- apply to spam also transmitted in bulk
- but subjective test OR by ref to a minimum numerical threshold
- apply to spam originating from/received in sg
- minimise risk that sg become spam hub
- merchant/business commissioning/procuring spam shld be liable for unlawful spam

### Spam Control Act 2007
- came into effect 15 June 2007
- parliament accepted almost entirely the proposals made by IDA-AGC join committee
- act offers framework to better manage spam as legal guidelines are reasonably easy for marketers to follow
- users who dont want to continue receiving spam must unsubscribe (opt-out scheme)
- and any business sending out spam must provide such avenue structured in a consumer friendly fashion
- marketer who continues to spam those who unsubscribe will face potential financial penalties of $25 for ea msg up to 1 million

### SG Proposed Legislation - Legal Actions & Obligations
#### Legal Actions - Role of ISP
- ISP which suffered loss/dmg as result of spamming will be given right to commence civil action in court
- remedies include
- dmgs for pure economic loss suffered
- costs & expenses of action

#### Obligations
- self-regulatory code of practices
- provide minimum standards of technical spam control & best practices
- ISP actions to curb spam in sg
- provide clear feedback procedures for subscribers
- make info available for subs to manage spam
- introduce technical measures to manage spam
- implement clear policies to discourage subs from using ISP facilities for sending spam

Multi-Pronged Approach
---
- importance
- gloabl nature of spam - self help as 1st line of def
- need to equip public with knowledge
- sg aims to foster pro-business & pro-consumer env
- includes
- public education
- industry self-regulation
- international cooperation

### Prevention Methods
- avoid giving email to unfamililar/unknown recipients
- dont post email online
- Eg. chat rooms, newsletters, subscriptions, online grps
- have more than 1 email
- dont reply to unknown email sources
- spammers use catchphrases to entice users to respond to emails

### Requisite Knowledge
- IDA survey on spam 2003
- 42% of email users in sg unaware of how to protect from spam
- public education impt
- email users shld have knowledge on
- how spammers operate
- what impt user habits they shld adopt to limit risks of receiving spam
- Eg. utilities of anti-spam software, firewalls

### Pro-Business & Pro-Consumer Environment
- in line with IDA infocomm 21 1 of 6 focus areas,
- sg will create pro-business & pro-consumer env to foster development & growth of digital economy
- spam impedes business efficacy
- result in loss of pdocutivity as time wasted in deleting spam
- Eg. Wellesley, Mass-based Nucleus Research Inc estimates that companies lose USD$1,934 for every employee in 2004 compared to USD$874 in 2003
- anti-spam filtering company (Postini Inc.) estaimates spam currently accounts for >70% of total email volume worldwide

#### Fostering Pro-Consumer Env
- mandatory code of practice
- DMAS's email marketing guidelines for marketers
- left unchecked, spam may erode consumer confidence in email as medium of comm & commerce
- actions taken
- national anti-spam website
- https://www.antispam.org.sg
- IDA anti-spam awareness drive
- SiTF anti-spam initiative
- public education efforts by CASE & SBF

#### Use of Technology
- consonant with pub education
- individual based
- install anti-spam filers to reduce spam receipt
- plethora of anti-spam software available
- Eg. firewalls

### Industry Self-Regulation
- marketers - mandatory code of prac
- DMAS's email marketing guidelines to be implemented
- ISPs - implementation of anti-spam guidelines by 3 major local ISPs
- now called spam control guidelines
- email users - consumer comms preference programme

### International Cooperation
- spam is global issue - sg cannot fight alone
- IMDA committed to partake in international initiatives including participation in global & regional fora such as APEC, ITU, OECD & ASEAN

###### tags: `CLI` `DISM` `School` `Notes`