Microsoft Targets Spammers Legally (Again)

Microsoft is again assisting Florida in its legal battles against spammers in that state.

While MS has launched substantial technical efforts to provide free protection against spyware and viruses, it so far has not made any complimentary anti-spam software available. Microsoft Exchange and Outlook do have some built-in e-mail filter functionality.

Most of Microsoft's legal efforts have been enacted through its Hotmail division. When spammers use hotmail accounts to send spam mail, they effectively engage in theft of service. This make Microsoft an involved legal party.

Hotmail accounts are frequently targeted by spammers for sending spam both to and from. Hotmail and other free email account providers such as Yahoo have expended large sums of money blocking junk email. The large user base makes it easy to guess possible recipients. The lax sign-up terms make them fairly easy to send junk messages from.

Bill Gates has frequently speculated on how the spam problem would be resolved. In fact, he predicted one of his efforts to kill spam would solve the issue within 2 years. That was a little over a year ago. Although his idea of charging senders for sending email is not without merit, I predict he's wrong.

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