The End of Spam?

[tinyjo]

I've been getting more text spam recently ("Call this premium rate number to discover your secret admirer/win £200") and it seems I'm not the only one, but according to the BBC

At a government level the European Union has passed a law forcing marketers to get explicit permission from customers before sending e-mails or text messages for advertising purposes.

The law should be adopted in member states, including the UK, by the summer of next year.

I shouldn't think there's much hope that the Viagra companies will stop pestering me, but I can always hope...

Comments

[soulsong.livejournal.com]

I got one the other day saying I'd won a holiday for two to Ibiza, please could I call this (no doubt premium rate) number to collect. I didn't call, so of course I dont know what the catch was.

[tinyjo.livejournal.com]

Due in part to being bought up by the worlds greatest cynic (my dad works for an ad agency) I find myself utterly unable to ever call these things - even those scratch cards you get in magazines which now say "Your prize will be worth at least 5 times the cost of the call" on them. And yet I find myself curious as to exactly what the scam is and tempted to call just to find out! After all, they must be making money somehow...

[dotty.livejournal.com]

Dear Tinyjo

Many thanks for telling me. I am forwarding the details of this new law to my ex-Marketing company in Sheffield. They will love it (or not). Hey, at least you receive Emails about Viagra (the same for my boss). All I ever receive is either the Russian scientist who needs money (Email address is a mix of letters and numbers) or the usual African money needing to be transfered onto my account.
Spam people, I blow my nose in your general direction! (reference to Monthy Python and the Holy Grail).