Spam canning moves from the EC

By Matt Whipp

Posted on 30 May 2002 at 17:43

You'll only get the spam you ask for in Europe.

The European Parliament has voted to adopt a directive that will see an end to those pre-ticked check boxes that indicate you wish to receive spam from all quarters.

The directive should be adopted within a few months and formally applied by 2003. It sets a worldwide precedent - the EU claims - by adopting a cross-Europe policy of the public having to opt in to receive unsolicited commercial email and SMS messages. Pre-empting the age of 3G, this includes location-based services that would, for example, advertise shops, services and amenities that are physically close to a mobile user. The directive says a mobile user must give explicit consent to receive such information.

This could have a significant impact upon 2.5 and 3G services. With the prohibitive cost of 3G licences, network operators will be concentrating on recouping that investment in a number of ways, including advertising revenue. But with these new restrictions on what is essentially mobile spamming, capitalising on that revenue will be made that much more difficult.

Per Haugaard, spokesperson for Enterprise and Information Society at the European Commission, told us the directive applies to unsolicited commercial messages sent to EU citizens from both within and outside the EU. Those enterprises found to flout the new directive could face legal action through the judicial systems of the EU and the country of residence of the 'victim'.

Additional measures within the directive are that EU citizens will have the right to make mobile and fixed-line telephone numbers, email and physical addresses, 'ex-directory' and unavailable in public directories.

The use of cookies is also questioned, with users having to be given explicit information as to the use and reason for their accepting a cookie.