SPAM : YOU SHOULD NEVER SPAM

To read : "Spam in Australia", from the Australian Communications Authority

What is Spam ?

Spam is a generic term used to describe electronic ‘junk mail’ – unwanted messages sent to your email account or mobile phone. These messages vary, but are essentially commercial and often annoying in their sheer volume. They may try to persuade you to buy a product or service, or visit a website where you can make purchases; or they may attempt to trick you into divulging your bank account or credit card details.
In Australia, spam is defined as ‘unsolicited commercial electronic messaging’. New Australian legislation relating to spam – the Spam Act 2003 – came into effect on 10 April 2004. This consumer guide outlines the new law; it also offers practical advice on how you can reduce the amount of spam you receive, and suggestions on what to do when you receive spam

Unsollicited mail

Spam according to the Australian Law : Spam Act 2003 – came into effect on 10 April 2004.

To comply with Australia’s spam laws, a commercial electronic message must meet the following conditions.

Any message sent to you that doesn’t meet all three of these conditions is defined as spam:

Consent

it must be sent with your consent. You may give express consent, or consent may be inferred from your conduct and ‘existing business or other relationships’

Identify

it must contain accurate information about the person or organisation that authorised the sending of the message

Unsubscribe

it must contain a functional ‘unsubscribe’ facility to allow you to opt out from receiving messages from that source in the future

A spam message is not necessarily sent out in ‘bulk’ to numerous addresses – under Australian law, a single electronic message can also be considered spam.

Exemptions

Electronic messages from certain sources are exempted from the legislation. These include messages from: government bodies, registered political parties, charities, religious organizations, educational institutions (sent to attending and former students and their households).