29 September, 2004 Attention: IT reporter

Nandor: spam law should cover SPIT

Green MP, Nándor Tánczos today called for direct phone marketing to be included in proposed spam legislation.

"I recognise the reasons why phone and paper-mail advertising were initially left out of the legislation," said Nandor, the Green Party's Information Technology spokesperson. "However the rapid uptake of Voice-over IP (VOIP) is likely to mean the inundation of our phone lines by Spam over Internet Technology (SPIT)."

"With the ready availability of home phone numbers on the internet through online phone directories, it's easy for software to scan the net for numbers and make mass pre-recorded advertising calls.

"It's going to annoy the hell out of people to be subjected to this new kind of invasive and costly spam, and we're likely to see people stop listing their numbers in the phone book," Nandor said. "It would be a shame to lose an excellent contact directory system as a result of too little foresight.

"I will be approaching the Minister to suggest including phone marketing in the proposed spam legislation with an opt-in system, as preferred by the majority of submitters."

View for technical information on SPIT.

ENDS

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