MFSA launches anti-spam campaign

Spam is unsolicited commercial e-mail that floods inboxes, clogs networks and costs the industry millions of rand every year.

The guidelines encourage marketers to adopt a list of self-regulatory "best practices" which will help responsible businesses to communicate with customers while avoiding spamming.

The document is a response to growing industry concerns over the way that spam is damaging the potential of genuine e-mail marketing. It was put together by the MFSA eBusiness Committee and initially tabled at the Spam Summit in October 2003. Input to these guidelines was made from across the advertising and marketing industry and government.

MFSA chief executive Mpho Makwana describes spam as one of the most significant threats to the future of Internet marketing.

"With these guidelines, we are asking corporate marketers and advertising agencies to abide by tough marketing guidelines so that consumers can easily differentiate between legitimate e-mail marketing messages and spam," said Makwana.

"Part of the challenge in curbing spam lies in distinguishing it from wanted e-mail. We have worked closely with industry and consumer groups to develop guidelines for legitimate commercial e-mail."

The overriding principle behind the guidelines is that senders should have the permission of the recipient before they send the mail. Other key guidelines include:

1. A valid return e-mail address and the physical address of the sender should be clearly identified. Marketers are encouraged to use their company or brand names in their domain address and prominently throughout the message.

2. An e-mail should clearly identify the sender and the subject matter at the beginning of the communication.

3. All commercial e-mail (except for billing purposes) must provide consumers with a clear and conspicuous electronic option to be removed from lists for future e-mail messages from the sender. The removal process must be easy to find and easy to use.

4. Marketers should not acquire e-mail addresses surreptitiously through automated mechanisms without the consumer's consent.

5. E-mail lists must not be sold or provided to unrelated third parties unless the owner of the list has provided notice and the ability to be removed from such transfer to each e-mail address on the list.

6. A commercial e-mail should contain the sender's privacy policy, either within the body of the e-mail or via a link.
   

The guidelines will be available on the MFSA website: www.mfsa.co.za or can be obtained from the MFSA's Stakeholder Relations Manager, Elaine Herold, at 011 832-3500.