A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) provides for consumer protection agencies in each country to share information, co-operate in detecting and investigating spam violations, co-operate in tracking spammers, exchange evidence, facilitate law enforcement against spam violators, and co-ordinate enforcement against cross-border spam violations.
The MoU also provides for the agencies to promote wide attendance at a meeting in London, planned for October 2004, that will gather spam law enforcement authorities from around the world to discuss spam enforcement issues.
"Illegal spam does not respect national boundaries," said Timothy Muris, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. "This agreement is an important next step to help law enforcers on three continents leverage resources to combat illegal spam."
"It's not going to solve spam overnight but it reinforces our determination to tackle it with a combination of industry initiatives, technical solutions and user awareness," added UK Communications Minister Stephen Timms.
Some spam that would otherwise be legal in the US will be caught by the MoU because it is unlawful in the UK. The MoU does not attempt a new definition of unlawful spam; instead, it references the main anti-spam laws of each participating country.
The agencies involved are the Federal Trade Commission, the UK's Office of Fair Trading, Information Commissioner and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and the Australian Communications Authority.