Canada Plans to Enact Anti-spam Bill

According to Tony Clement (the Industry Minister of Canada), the country is infested with cyber criminals who exploit the Internet for attacking bankers and consumers, but the government is legislating laws that will bring a change, as reported by Calgary Sun on May 25, 2010.

Trailing the countries like the UK, Australia and the US, Canada at present is without any specific anti-spam act. In case the proposed 'Fighting Internet and Wireless Spam Act' is passed, it will establish strong measures for those dispatching commercial e-mails or spam through cell-phone to the public without permission. The problem is costing Canadians a maximum of $3 Billion annually.

As the country lacks effective laws for curtailment of spam, spammers find it easy to start business here and victimize people not just in Canada, but all over the globe.

Clement states that spammers regard Canada as a convenient host because the country's current legislation is inadequate due to loopholes in it. According to him, it significantly lacks modernity necessary to tackle the problems of cyber-criminals, as reported by The Gazette on May 25, 2010.

Clement adds that Canada is a place liked by spammers to live in and cause the global destruction.

When the new acts are passed and implemented, legitimate businesses would be required to acquire permission prior to distributing spam. Many things will become illegal like viruses, spyware, trojans and other malware. Besides, misleading or fake representations on the Net like e-mails supposedly from banks and websites spoofing banks will become illegitimate.

The laws will also help the government to penalize financially anyone found violating the anti-spam acts. Businesses like banks will be required to inform about large data breaches to individuals and the government. Internet and e-commerce act specialist Michael Geist at the University of Ottawa welcomed the proposed act but described it as coming too late.

Reportedly, the government is thinking about establishing a centre where spam issues will be reported. Working with state law enforcement agencies, this centre will be empowered to terminate websites. Expectedly, the legislation will become effective by 2010-end.

Related article: Canada - A Major Stimulator of Spam, Says Cisco

» SPAMfighter News - 6/4/2010