QA Forum

Question & Answer

We are discussing Surfing through Computers and the Internet
With Nathanael Boehm, Nan Bosler and DCITA

Question:
What is the Australian Government doing about spam?

Answer:
DCITA -The Spam Act 2003 came into effect on 10 April 2004. Under the law it is illegal to send, or cause to be sent, 'unsolicited commercial electronic messages' that have an Australian link. A message has an 'Australian link' if it either originates or was commissioned in Australia, or originates overseas but has been sent to an address accessed in Australia.

The Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts has policy responsibility for spam, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the agency responsible for enforcing the Spam Act.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has required more than 1200 businesses to make changes to their email and SMS marketing practices to comply with the Act. ACMA was also successful in its claims against a company in breach of the Spam Act in the Federal Court earlier this year. Since ACMA commenced its enforcement activities Australia has dropped from 12th to 32nd on the list of global sources of spam produced by e-security company Sophos.

The Australian Government has also implemented educational programs and websites where Australians can find information on protecting themselves and their computers. Brochures, booklets and other information is available from the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

For tips on how to use the Internet securely and stay smart online, go to Stay Smart Online.

Three simple steps and some common sense can go a long way to helping you Stay Smart Online:

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