Spam, once a mere nuisance, has become a serious problem for individuals and businesses alike. As much as 80% of e-mails circulating on the internet are estimated to be spam, and the threat is spreading to other technologies such as mobile phones and instant messaging services. Besides clogging networks and facilitating the spread of viruses or fraudulent schemes, spam is a major factor in undermining trust in the Internet, thus slowing the growth of the digital economy.

To support the development of an inclusive and coherent answer to the spam issue, the OECD, has launched an Anti-Spam “Toolkit” as the first step in a broader initiative to help policy makers, regulators and industry players orient their policies relating to spam solutions and restore trust in the Internet and e-mail.

The OECD Anti-Spam Toolkit and its Annexes are available in PDF and HTML formats HERE.

These pages provide a repository of resources and information on anti-spam activities and solutions at the international level. The Toolkit is in constant evolution, and contributions from all stakeholders are very welcome (spam.project at oecd.org).

Pump and dump sends spam soaring
10th August 2007
Spammers have unleashed one of the biggest online stock manipulation campaigns in history in the last 24 hours, increasing global spam levels by 30 per cent.

The New Yorker: Damn Spam
6th August 2007
The New Yorker article on spam...

Federal Trade Commission Spam Summit 2007
16th July 2007
The Federal Trade Commission “Spam Summit: The Next Generation of Threats and Solutions,” was held in Washington, DC, on July 11 and 12, 2007. The agenda and presentations for the meeting are available online on the FTC website