Different fines for spamming in Europe

Online, November 10, 2009 (Newswire.com) - Since the new spam law from the 1st of October, 2009 that was passed in the Netherlands, a new discussion arose. Currently, within the EU, there are no equal laws concerning the fines for sending out spam. According to the Dutch email security firm SpamExperts from Amsterdam, there is a need for an international cooperation of all members states in the battle against spam.

"As long as recipients fall trap to scam attacks and phishing attempts, or continue to buy products advertised through spam, spam will prevail", according to Sam Renkema, CEO of SpamExperts. "This does not imply however that regulation is entirely ineffective, but that a common approach is required to put an end to spamming practices."

As a result of a recent study by the European Commission in Brussels, it became clear that there are no equal standards regarding the fines imposed for spamming. The Netherlands, for example, has a top position with a maximum fine of up to EUR 450.000. Romania, Ireland and Latvia only have moderate fines of up to a maximum of a few thousand Euro.

Regulations within the European Union will not solve the problem of spamming, as spam can be send out from any country. For example, one out of six spam mails originates from the United States. "It is like the cat and mouse game - when one location becomes too expensive for sending out spam, spammers will simply search for another country.", says Mr. Renkema. "We do welcome the fact, however that the European Commission now is actually negotiating with the American authorities to agree on a joint action plan". With the elimination of 2 large botnets in the United States, the global spam volume recently decreased to "only 76,8% " for a short while.