Business

The Unseen Story Behind Email Spam: Reasons, Economics, Law, and Countermeasures

August 4, 2023

3 minute read

Every day, millions of people worldwide open their inboxes to discover a bombardment of unwanted messages – email spam. These digital irritants range from harmless advertisements to more menacing phishing attempts. But have you ever wondered why spammers spam or the economics behind it? Or if there is a law against spam, why it still prevails? Let’s unpack the complex world of spamming.

Why Spammers Spam?

Spammers often target email users with unsolicited messages for two main reasons: advertising and phishing.

Advertising: The primary goal is to promote a product, service, or a website. These emails can range from genuine marketing attempts to pyramid schemes or get-rich-quick scams.
Phishing: More nefariously, spammers may use spam as a method to steal personal information or deploy malware. These spammers prey on unsuspecting users who inadvertently click on a suspicious link or download an infected attachment, thereby granting access to their personal or financial information.

The Economics of Spam from the Spammer’s Point of View

Contrary to popular belief, spamming can be quite a lucrative business model, thanks to the low operational costs and broad reach of email.

Spamming operates on a mass scale: sending an email cost next to nothing, and with the right software, a spammer can send out millions of emails within a short period. Even if only a small fraction (say, 0.01%) of recipients respond to a spam email, the return on investment can be substantial.

Moreover, the majority of spam is sent from hijacked computers (botnets), which further reduces the operational costs for spammers and makes it harder for authorities to track them down.

The Law and Spam

Several countries have laws in place against spamming. For example, in the U.S., the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 set national standards for the sending of commercial emails. In the EU, Directive 2002/58/EC (also known as the “ePrivacy Directive”) establishes similar rules.

However, these laws are difficult to enforce due to the borderless nature of the internet. Spammers often operate from countries with lax regulations, making it hard to prosecute them. Additionally, spammers continually evolve their techniques to bypass spam filters and stay ahead of the law, contributing to the persistence of spam despite its illegality.

What Can Users Do to Stop Spam?

Here are several measures you can take to reduce the amount of spam you receive:

Be cautious with your email address: Treat your email address like your phone number. Only give it out to people you trust and avoid entering it on questionable websites.
Use a spam filter: Most email services provide a spam filter that can help to reduce the number of unwanted emails.
Report spam: If you receive spam in your inbox, report it. This helps your email provider improve their spam filters.
Never respond to spam: Replying to spam, even to unsubscribe, confirms your email is active and may lead to more spam.

Interesting Trivia: Spam History and Statistics

The term “spam” comes from a 1970 Monty Python’s Flying Circus skit. In the sketch, a group of Vikings sings a song about Spam (the canned meat product) that drowns out all other conversation — hence the analogy with unwanted emails. The first spam email was sent by Gary Thuerk in 1978 to 393 users on ARPANET (the precursor to the internet), promoting a new model of Digital Equipment Corporation computers.

As per statistics, as of 2021, spam messages accounted for 28.5% of email traffic worldwide. It’s a significant decrease from a peak of 92.6% in 2010, thanks to advancements in spam detection and filtering. Spam emails are not just annoying but can also be dangerous. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Report, victims lost over $54 million to phishing and similar scams in 2020 alone.

In conclusion, email spam continues to be a pervasive issue despite advancements in technology and legislation. However, with careful management of your digital footprint and strong security measures, it’s possible to reduce your exposure to these unwanted messages.