Repeat email spammers must be prosecuted

The London Internet Exchange (Linx) is pressing the government to ensure new powers granted to the Information Commissioner are used to prosecute persistent senders of spam emails.

The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, an EU directive, will come into force in the autumn, and for the first time gives the Information Commissioner powers to take repeat spam offenders to court.

But Linx is concerned that the prosecution powers will not be used because of a lack of resources.

'Linx thinks this is great, but we don't want the government to say: "We've done this because we have to implement it," and then not use it,' Linx regulation officer Malcolm Hutty told Computing.

Spam is becoming a major problem to businesses across the globe, and damaging the trust of users and consumers. According to email security specialist MessageLabs, one in 14 emails sent in the UK last year were spam.

Hutty is worried that similar powers already governing junk faxes and mail have not been used to their full potential and failed to make an impact.

The new powers will be applied to repeat offenders who make a living sending spam on behalf of third parties, and move ISPs as their accounts are closed.