All About Spam

Posted on Wednesday, August 1st, 2012.

It is five years since the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 came into effect, so it is a good time to go over what it is all about.

Spam is the generic term for the electronic commercial email, fax, and mobile or smart phone text (TXT) and image-based messages you receive without having requested them.

These messages are of a commercial nature and ask the recipient to buy a product or service.

The Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 is designed to help stop these activities by creating a safe and secure environment for businesses and the wider public community. This Email Law NZ has so far been successful.

The Act covers communications in the form of email, fax, instant messaging, mobile/smart phone text (TXT) and image-based messages of a commercial nature. It does not, however, cover Internet pop-ups or voice telemarketing.

The purpose of the Act is to:

• Prohibit unsolicited commercial electronic messages with a New Zealand connection.
• Require commercial electronic messages to include accurate information about the person who authorised the sending of the message and an unsubscribe facility that is functional, this will enable the recipient to instruct the sender that no further messages are to be sent to the them.
• Prohibit address-harvesting software being used to create address lists for sending unsolicited commercial electronic messages
• Deter businesses and people from using information and communication technologies inappropriately.

The Act is also encourages good direct marketing practices by:

• Requiring electronic messages to contain a functioning unsubscribe facility
• Ensuring electronic messages are sent only to customers who have agreed to receiving it
• Restricting the use of address-harvesting software.

At the same time as the Act was bought in the Government established the Anti-Spam Compliance Unit, this unit enforces the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 by investigating complaints about spam.

The Unit does the following

• Directly enforces the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007
• Promotes education and awareness
• Facilitates industry liaison
• Monitors emerging technologies
• Works with international agencies.

You can keep up with the work of the Anti-Spam Compliance Unit by following the team on Twitter.

For further hints and tips on Strategies from Mobilize Mail Click Here.

Comments are closed.