Regulatory Actions Taken under Spam Control Act

Assoc Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene asked the Minister for Communications and Information what has been the number and types of regulatory actions under the Spam Control Act annually since 2008.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: The Spam Control Act came into effect on 15 June 2007, after multiple rounds of review and consultation over a three-year period with the public, people and private sectors. The Act represents one out of four limbs under a multi-pronged approach adopted by the public and private sectors. This multi-pronged approach comprised public education, industry self-regulation, legislative measures and international cooperation and was assessed to be the most comprehensive way to handle issues of spam.

Like many other jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, the Act adopts a civil-based enforcement regime. This means that any aggrieved party can sue senders of spam in Court for an injunction, statutory damages or actual monetary damages suffered. This approach was adopted to provide anyone who suffers loss or damages or is sufficiently aggrieved with the right to legal redress. Therefore, enforcement under the Act does not involve any regulatory actions. A check with the Supreme and Subordinate Courts has shown that no one has yet brought a spam-related civil suit to the Singapore Courts.