These days, it is not a question any more whether Internet service providers
will fight spam. The question is how they will do it.
Today, for instance, a San Diego company announced that it is suing alleged
spammers, accusing them of using its network to send out junk email. And this
comes on the heels of EarthLink
officially announcing its several-month-old policy of fining people $200 who
send spam from their network.
These are just two examples of how companies are taking a hard line--or are
at least trying to appear tough--against junk emailers.
Back in the old days--say, six months ago--the fight against spam was
mostly limited to a few large service providers and a cadre of dedicated
Netizens.
Today it has grown into a budding industry: companies now sell antispam
products and ISPs tout their antispam efforts to attract customers. But
they are also fighting spam for another reason: junk email is costing them,
collectively, millions of dollars per year, by most estimates. Both incoming
and outgoing junk email clogs up servers, sometimes slowing down service to
customers. Most companies have at least one full-time person dedicated to
fighting spam. Some, such as EarthLink, have full staffs.
EarthLink last April instituted a policy whereby anyone sending spam from
its network could be charged a $200 fine. The company started enforcing
the policy in September. Since then, it has fined hundreds of spammers,
according to Harris Schwartz, the company's information security
administrator.
Some have fought against the fine, claiming it is illegal to automatically
charge their credit cards. But Schwartz said that EarthLink's lawyers
did their homework before enforcing it and that
when he explains the situation to banks and credit card companies, they pay.
And it may be an idea that is catching on. Schwartz said that in the last two
weeks he has received calls from several other ISPs asking if the fine is
working.
It is, Schwartz said. "We have billed hundreds of accounts. We're not
really having a lot of people that are coming again, whereas before, we would
cancel someone and they would come back and do it again. Since we did the fine, we're only seeing maybe 1
percent come back."
Meanwhile, EarthLink, similar to other companies, is still fighting incoming
spam. Many companies filter email according to headers, but others are turning to the courts to fight against spammers.
America Online
(AOL), perhaps the greatest target of spam because of its size and
because its members' email addresses are largely public, has sued spammers in court.
Other companies also are getting into the act.
Today, SimpleNet, a low-cost ISP in
San Diego, said it filed suit in United States District Court against a series of small San Diego-based companies and individuals,
to seek an injunction against spam. SimpleNet also is suing for revenue lost when
it says it tried to track down the spammers, and the company is claiming that its reputation was
hurt by it.
SimpleNet contends that the defendants were using its system to send spam
and refused to stop after they were told to do so.
It is an increasingly common complaint. And from the looks of things, ISPs
are stepping up their efforts to combat junk emailers.
SimpleNet is also asking the county district attorney to file criminal
charges against the company.
"The named defendants have
orchestrated an intricate and highly deceptive plan to defraud SimpleNet
and its
customers," according to SimpleNet's legal counsel.