The fight against the global scourge of spam, scams and unsolicited messages and calls has stepped up, with the announcement of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by 11 enforcement authorities across the globe.
The enforcement authorities are all members of the London Action Plan, which coordinates and promotes international cooperation and activities targeting unlawful spam related problems—such as online fraud and deception, phishing, and dissemination of viruses—as well as unsolicited calls and texts.
The MoU demonstrates the commitment among the signatories to reinforcing cross-border cooperation to address unwanted messages and calls. By providing a framework for information and intelligence sharing among enforcement agencies around the world, the MOU strengthens the international fight against a global problem.
The MoU complements the London Action Plan, whose broader membership includes regulators, law enforcement agencies and industry organisations that are active in countering spam, unsolicited calls and texts.
The current 11 signatories include:
- Australian Communications and Media Authority
- Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission and Office of the Privacy Commissioner in Canada
- Korea Internet & Security Agency
- Authority for Consumers and Markets in the Netherlands
- Information Commissioner’s Office and Citizen Advice (consumer arm) in the United Kingdom
- Department of Internal Affairs in New Zealand
- National Consumer Commission in South Africa
- Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission in the United States.
Authorities in other countries have expressed a desire to commit to the MoU.
The development of the MoU sends a clear message to those responsible for fraudulent or malicious messages and calls that they cannot escape enforcement attention, while assuring citizens that their interests are being protected.