UK To Extradite Spammers - GoFuckYourself.com

Manga1 · 10-30-2003, 09:56 PM

http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5099322.html

U.K. plans to extradite spammers

British lawmakers hope to use a new tactic to stop the torrent of junk e-mail that floods in from overseas: Extradite the mass-mailers and bring them to trial in the United Kingdom.
"Spammers are no longer an irritant; they are a threat,'' British Member of Parliament Brian White said Thursday. The United Kingdom last month was the second European Union country after Italy to criminalize spam in a law that goes into effect in December.

But the law has drawn criticism from antispam crusaders who say it will be powerless to stop the flood of messages at the source. The majority of spam originates overseas, and in particular, the United States, industry experts say.

While initially, extradition would be used to target spammers, it could be expanded to include suspects in other cybercrime cases such as virus-writing and hacking, White added.

White said he and fellow British lawmakers traveled to the United States earlier this month where they talked to FBI officials about extraditing American spammers who violate British laws.

"The FBI's reaction was, subject to the individual case, they couldn't see any problem with it,'' he said.

U.K. and U.S. law enforcement authorities have a long history of cooperation in criminal matters, a relationship that has only grown stronger in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in America and their subsequent crackdowns on subversive groups.

The rise of spam, that flood of unsolicited e-mail offering everything from porn and cheap mortgages to a full head of hair, has become an urgent matter for lawmakers around the world.

Lately, law enforcement officials have begun to crack down on spam as a growing amount contains child pornography and as spam messages have been used in a spate of recent fraud scams that target online banking customers.

White said spammers could be extradited if they violated the Computer Misuse Act, a 13-year-old U.K. law that makes it illegal to tamper with and damage another user's computer.

Therefore, a spammer who sends e-mails that contain viruses or Trojans, programs capable of taking over another user's computer, would be grounds for extradition, White said.

"The majority of spam is either breaking the law regarding fraud, obscenity, child pornography, or (distribution and marketing) of prescription drugs. We wouldn't get every spammer under all three of those laws, but you could get a majority,'' he added.

The challenge for prosecutors will be building a strong enough case linking spammers with a particular crime as most operate under aliases and have effectively disguised their whereabouts.

10-30-2003, 09:56 PM	#1
Manga1 Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Malakiaville Posts: 952	UK To Extradite Spammers http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5099322.html U.K. plans to extradite spammers British lawmakers hope to use a new tactic to stop the torrent of junk e-mail that floods in from overseas: Extradite the mass-mailers and bring them to trial in the United Kingdom. "Spammers are no longer an irritant; they are a threat,'' British Member of Parliament Brian White said Thursday. The United Kingdom last month was the second European Union country after Italy to criminalize spam in a law that goes into effect in December. But the law has drawn criticism from antispam crusaders who say it will be powerless to stop the flood of messages at the source. The majority of spam originates overseas, and in particular, the United States, industry experts say. While initially, extradition would be used to target spammers, it could be expanded to include suspects in other cybercrime cases such as virus-writing and hacking, White added. White said he and fellow British lawmakers traveled to the United States earlier this month where they talked to FBI officials about extraditing American spammers who violate British laws. "The FBI's reaction was, subject to the individual case, they couldn't see any problem with it,'' he said. U.K. and U.S. law enforcement authorities have a long history of cooperation in criminal matters, a relationship that has only grown stronger in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in America and their subsequent crackdowns on subversive groups. The rise of spam, that flood of unsolicited e-mail offering everything from porn and cheap mortgages to a full head of hair, has become an urgent matter for lawmakers around the world. Lately, law enforcement officials have begun to crack down on spam as a growing amount contains child pornography and as spam messages have been used in a spate of recent fraud scams that target online banking customers. White said spammers could be extradited if they violated the Computer Misuse Act, a 13-year-old U.K. law that makes it illegal to tamper with and damage another user's computer. Therefore, a spammer who sends e-mails that contain viruses or Trojans, programs capable of taking over another user's computer, would be grounds for extradition, White said. "The majority of spam is either breaking the law regarding fraud, obscenity, child pornography, or (distribution and marketing) of prescription drugs. We wouldn't get every spammer under all three of those laws, but you could get a majority,'' he added. The challenge for prosecutors will be building a strong enough case linking spammers with a particular crime as most operate under aliases and have effectively disguised their whereabouts.