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• June 26, 2003 •
This week, Microsoft's Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates published an "Executive E-mail" on the Microsoft Web site titled Toward a Spam-Free Future, in which he pledges to combat spam and its pollution of the email ecosystem through technological innovation and partnerships with other companies and governments as part of Microsoft's drive to create a more trustworthy computing environment.
Microsoft is working to create new anti-spam technologies that are even more precise, easier to use, and adaptable. These will (also) be integrated into more of Microsoft's products, particularly Outlook and Exchange (besides MSN & Hotmail).
Bill Gates acknowledges that he too receives a lot of spam every day: "Like almost everyone, I receive a lot of spam every day, much of it offering to help me get out of debt or get rich quick. It's ridiculous."
He also acknowledges that spam is a drain on productivity, an increasingly costly waste of time and resources for Internet service providers and for businesses large and small.
Gates also writes: "Recognizing the increasing urgency of the issue, we recently created a new Anti-Spam Technology and Strategy Group that brings together specialists from across the company and integrates all of our anti-spam strategy and R&D efforts."
Gates noted that filters on the servers at MSN and Hotmail block more than 2.4 billion messages a day, before they ever reach our customers' inboxes.
Microsoft is working with others in the industry to identify and restrict mail that conceals its source, a common trick used by spammers. Microsoft is proposing a system to verify sender addresses, much as recipients' addresses are verified today. The Internet addresses for all incoming mail servers are published as part of the Domain Name System, the Internet's distributed directory. That's how mail gets to the right destination. If domain administrators could also publish the addresses of their outgoing mail servers, then the receipt of a suspected forgery could trigger a relatively simple, automated verification process. Incoming servers would then be able to confirm whether senders are who they say they are.
To help fight fraudulent or otherwise illegal spam, Microsoft is also cooperating with other service providers to create better mechanisms for preserving electronic evidence of spammers' activities. Gates also noted that on June 16, Microsoft filed 15 lawsuits in the United States and the United Kingdom against companies and individuals alleged to be responsible for billions of spam messages sent in violation of state and federal laws.
A key to eliminating spam is establishing clear guidelines for legitimate commercial e-mail. With industry and consumer groups, Microsoft is developing best-practice guidelines to help responsible companies understand how to reach their customers without spamming them. According to Microsoft, congress could help by providing a strong incentive for businesses to adopt e-mail best practices. Microsoft's proposal is to create a regulatory "safe harbor" status for senders who comply with e-mail guidelines confirmed by an FTC-approved self-regulatory body. Senders who do not comply would have to insert an "ADV:" label -- standing for advertisement -- in the subject line of all unsolicited commercial e-mail. This would enable computer users either to accept ADV-labeled mail or to have it deleted automatically.
You can read the full email on the Microsoft Web site.
