What is spamming
Spamming is the act of sending unsolicited electronic messages in bulk, whether for commercial or non-commercial purpose. Sending unsolicited messages does not confine to emails. It happens with postal junk mails and junk fax. Pure spamming is not an offence in Hong Kong. The Office for Telecommunications Authority released a consultation paper to the public on 25th June 2004 with the wish to making spamming an offence.
Spam by emails is the most often seen form of spamming on the Internet. Emails are delivered with contents or messages for commercial advertising. Because of the little cost on sending email emails in massive scale, Non-commercial junk emails are also found.
It must be noted that sending unsolicited emails is not the only medium of spamming. Other media includes: instant messaging (such as ICQ or Yahoo Messaging), Usenet newsgroups and forum (message borads. Responsible service providers on Internet service has a set of rules or know-how to monitor and regulate the use of the Internet as a spamming tool. The examples are Yahoo!, ICQ a hotmail.