Under new regulations adopted by the European Union, e-mail "spam" has been banned in Ireland and all other countries that are members of the Union.

Under the regulations which came into force in December, it is a criminal offence to send commercial e-mails or text messages unless the recipient has agreed in advance to receive them.

Firms that ignore the new law face unlimited fines and can be sued by the recipients in certain circumstances. The legislation only applies to companies operating inside the EU.

Most "spam" originates outside the EU….It is as invasive as telephone marketing, and is frequently used by purveyors of pornography. An attempt to regulate telephone marketing is under way in the United States of America, but similar action is lacking in Canada. Outlawing "spam" should be a priority in both countries.

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