ISPs belonging to LINX, which handles more than 90% of the UK's
internet traffic, are seeking to tackle spammers who host their
e-commerce web sites with a reputable ISP while sending spam from
another network.
Until now ISPs have only acted to withdraw e-mail services or
internet access for spammers. The new anti-spam policy will now
target web site owners even when the site owner uses a third party
to send the spam itself.
LINX is also calling on ISPs to take down web sites used to sell
spamming tools, such as CD-ROMs containing millions of
illegally-collected e-mail addresses.
According to LINX regulation officer Malcolm Hutty, "This
represents an ever tougher approach to spammers. ISPs are not just
trying to avoid their own users sending spam, we want to put the
spammers out of business altogether."
The measures form a code of Best Current Practice, and is the
second BCP on spam to be adopted. The first, which came into effect
in May 1999, has since become the basis of most anti-spam
standards, according to LINX.
But with recent research showing that less than 1% of spam
originates in the UK, and that less than 20% comes from Europe, a
question remains over how effective the new measures will actually
be.
Hutty acknowledged the problem, but argued, "The new BCP will
raise the baseline, making the worldwide acceptable minimum
standard tougher."
"We will be working to spread this standard beyond the UK at
RIPE [Réseaux IP Européens - an international forum which manages
the operation of the internet], Euro-IX and elsewhere. We shall
also be asking for support from the UK government at WSIS (the
World Summit on the Information Society), OECD and other
international forums," he added.
