‘Spam Reporting Center’ Anticipated as Canadian Government Embarks Upon Curbing Spam

The federal government in Canada has decided to create one 'Spam Reporting Center' with which illegitimate and nuisance e-mail, text messages and phone-calls will be stubbed before they can inundate Canadian mailboxes, social-networking accounts on Twitter and Facebook, and cell-phones, published montrealgazette.com dated January 5, 2012.

Essentially, Industry Canada says, the freshly planned Center named "The Freezer" will accept junk e-mails that organizations, businesses and individuals in Canada may forward it, including unsolicited messages, spyware or other malware, SMS (short message services) as also misleading or false descriptions, while these maybe sent through any telecommunications mode.

Incidentally, Canadian e-mail ids, daily, receive innumerable spam mails even as Internet Service Providers intercept most of them by using anti-spam filters. The result, however, is that the country has earned the bad name of being a spammer's refuge.

Intriguingly, as per Industry Canada, e-mail junk currently accounts for 75%-90% of the total e-mail and is as varied as irritating solicitations, fake web-links to phony business sites.

Thus, The Freezer will handle complaints and reports about unwanted spam along with associated e-threats as also gather information whether publicly obtainable or voluntarily given. Subsequently, this information may get utilized as clues reflecting probable security breaches or for aiding enforcement agencies towards imposing penalties or fines.

Also, Canadian government is considering assisting the private sector with an annual aid of $700,000 towards operating the anti-spam center.

Meanwhile, in Australia, for example, a year following the country's 2004 spam act, its reputation as one of the ten most spam-hit countries ceased. Indeed, Industry Canada states, a few prominent spammers, especially those touting porn, permanently closed shop in Australia.

Security Consultant, Neil Schwartzman, also an expert from the task-force at the federation, which provided suggestions regarding ways for mitigating spamming within Canada, states, it's just 'unbelievable' how Canada lacks in measures for thwarting spam.

But, as per the government, the new move mustn't adversely impact legitimate businesses. Permission for e-mail marketing can be granted provided companies and consumers agree to receiving commercial e-mail alternatively, there's already certain commercial relationship between the e-mail marketer and consumer; however, political parties and charitable organizations are exempted.

Related article: “Loopholes did not cause online banking thefts”: ICBC

» SPAMfighter News - 1/17/2012