The exponential growth of unsolicited junk e-mail - spam - is shaking consumer confidence in the Internet and may hamper growth of the e-economy, officials told a global anti-spam meeting in Brussels.
A survey, published by consumer group the Trans-Atlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD), showed 52% of respondents were shopping less on the Internet or not at all because of concerns about receiving unsolicited junk e-mail. The survey was released at a spam meeting led by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
An overwhelming majority of the more than 20,000 respondents to the TACD survey said they either hated or were annoyed by unsolicited junk e-mails and wanted them to be banned.
The OECD is calling for governments to pool resources to tackle the scourge of nuisance offers of sex aids and cheap loans which can be used to spreading malicious viruses.
According to the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union the problem cost EU and US companies more than $11.5 billion a year in lost time and productivity. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimates the global economic impact could reach $20 billion.
Governments are trying to tackle the problem through a mixture of regulations, code of conducts for business and advanced technical solutions.
