4. Spam

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Our inboxes are groaning with spam, which has led Communications Minister Eamon Ryan to introduce tough new penalties.

Spam Graph. Source: Data Protection Commissioner annual reports 2005, 2006 and 2007; 2008 is a provisional figure supplied to AMAS

Fines of up to €250,000 or 10% of the company’s turnover, whichever is greater, can be imposed on companies which send unsolicited emails, texts or faxes.

Paradoxically, complaints to the Data Protection Commissioner about spam fell in 2008. Just 318 complaints under the Privacy in Electronic Communications Regulation were received in 2008, a 41% drop on the previous year. However, those numbers don’t show the full picture.

The Data Protection Commissioner initiated proceedings against businesses which had been the subject of high volumes of complaints in previous years in the District Court towards the end of 2007. “The commencement of these proceedings has had the positive effect of reducing the number of complaints as the companies concerned have either reduced activity in this area or they are checking that they have consent to target the individuals concerned,” the Commissioner’s office says.

Back to the contents of State of the Net issue 12