The U.K. Department of Trade & Industry has proposed a number of measures to crack down on unsolicited commercial e-mail messages.
The proposals — to crack down on unwanted emails and strengthen privacy rights for electronic communications — were launched Thursday by Stephen Timms, e-Commerce Minister.
The proposed regulations will:
*Require businesses to gain consent before sending unsolicited advertising e-mails except where there is an existing customer relationship.
*Mandate that the use of cookies or other tracking devices be clearly indicated and that people have the opportunity to reject them.
*Allow mobile operators and their partners to provide customers with value added services, such as traffic and weather updates, where consent has been given.
“Spam has become the curse of the Internet. It is a source of major frustration as it clogs up inboxes the world over,” said Timms in a statement. “Just as the Internet and mobile technology have become a firm feature of our lives, spam is threatening that status. It is in danger of becoming a real deterrent to online communication.”
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