The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is seeking public comment on its proposal to deregister the long-standing and outdated Industry Spam Code of Practice.
Developed by the Internet Industry Association in 2003, the code sought to establish technical and operational procedures for internet industry participants to manage spam on their networks. It doesn’t directly provide consumer protections or community safeguards.
The ACMA administers the code and said certain obligations in it may now be considered to be standard industry practice, no longer relevant, or outdated.
“A lot of stuff [in the code] is outdated and business as usual for Internet service providers,” Julia Cornwell McKean, manager of the ACMA’s unsolicited communications and compliance section told Computerworld.
These included understanding the technology and business requirements around spam and listings, providing information to customers around managing spam, having abuse addresses, and blocking spam at the network level, she said.
“ISPs know what they have got to do to protect their own networks in regards to the spam problem. It’s a measure that industry really wants ... why make them [ISPs] do something that they do voluntarily anyway.”
Cornwell McKean said some obligations around spam are now covered by iCode, which is now the responsibility of the Communications Alliance.
Follow CIO Australia on Twitter and Like us on Facebook… Twitter: @CIO_Australia, Facebook: CIO Australia, or take part in the CIO conversation on LinkedIn: CIO Australia
Follow Byron Connolly on Twitter:@ByronConnolly
Read more: David Buckingham new iiNet boss