Following the news that Microsoft has filed 15 lawsuits in the US and UK against spammers, the company`s founder, Bill Gates, has shared his company`s perspective on this issue in a letter to the US Senate Commerce Committee on spam.
According to Gates, what he describes as "the torrent of unwanted, unsolicited, often offensive and sometimes fraudulent e-mail that constitute spam" is eroding trust in technology, costing business billions every year, and decreasing the ability to realise technology`s full potential.
"To make matters worse, spam often preys on less sophisticated e-mail users, such as our children, thus posing a genuine threat to personal security and privacy and threatening the very utility of e-mail as a viable communication tool," he says.
"Microsoft firmly believes that spam can be dramatically reduced, and that the solution rests squarely on the shoulders of industry and government. Fully addressing this problem for the long-run requires a coordinated, multi-faceted approach that includes technology, industry self-regulation, effective legislation and targeted enforcement."
Gates says that while Microsoft is committed to engaging on every level to find new and better technical means to stop spam, technology is not the only answer.
"Effective self-regulation efforts by the industry are crucial. Specifically, we support the establishment of a global independent trust authority that can spearhead industry best practices and serve as an ongoing resource for e-mail certification and dispute resolution," he states.
"In short, these authorities could provide mechanisms to identify legitimate e-mail, making it easier for consumers and businesses to distinguish wanted mail from unwanted mail."
Gates says that in order for self-regulation and technology efforts to be successful, they need to be supported by strong government legislation that prohibits fraudulent and deceptive spamming practices and empowers consumers, without threatening the vitality of legitimate e-commerce.
Specifically, he says that federal legislation should create incentives for e-mail marketers to adopt best practices, and to certify themselves as trusted senders who can be more easily identified by consumers and filters alike.
"Such legislation should identify the basic components that industry guidelines must address - such as notice and choice obligations - but should permit the industry to take the lead in developing the specific guidelines within these parameters," he states.
"Only when industry, government and technology come together to solve the spam problem, will we truly be able to offer consumers a trustworthy, safe and more productive e-mail experience."
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