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Microsoft sues spammers... for circumventing its anti-spam filters...
It's a story that beggars belief, a true case of Goliath smothering David with his voluminous backside, but believe it or not... it's true! Get this: a group of ingenious spammers are being sued by Microsoft for abusing Hotmail's Junk Mail Reporting Program and Smart Network Data Services.The lawsuit claims that the defendants used millions of Hotmail accounts to label spam messages as 'not spam'. Up to 200,000 spam messages were falsely filed every day. I thought this was just a case of defrauding the spam filter's Bayesian 'learning', where it compares incoming mail against a huge body of 'known' spam -- but there was a second stage in the spammer's attack! With this huge body of millions of falsely-reported emails, an associate of the spammers then contacted Microsoft to ask that these mail were no longer treated as spam. How downright dastardly.
Now, I'm British, so I automatically root for the underdog (which is usually us), but you do have to appreciate just how damn sneaky spammers can be. The Microsoft legal and policy blog makes a good point though: spam filters are vital in today's world. Spam isn't just a vehicle for Viagra spam! Viruses and malware ride the spam sedan too -- profiteering spammers make it easier for your friends and family to get infected, and for that they should HANG!
[via Ars Technica]
Comments
12
Subscribe to commentsbill cant fartJun 21st 2010 8:47AM
This reminds me of how either Norton or McAfee made a list of things you shouldn't search for on Google to prevent you to get infected... you know, instead of improving their product.
Daniel BloisJun 21st 2010 9:12AM
Bill,
I am sorry but that is incorrect logic. You need to do both as Microsoft has and will continue to do.
Drew GreenJun 21st 2010 11:36AM
Give 'em the death penalty!
Android underlingJun 21st 2010 12:02PM
So the spammers get to be David? Given the history of spam and the internet, I would think they get to be Goliath.
stinlen56Jun 21st 2010 12:49PM
Ha, I was thinking the same thing.
Sebastian AnthonyJun 21st 2010 12:57PM
I think they would be Goliath in most cases -- just not versus Microsoft :P
jeffJun 21st 2010 12:13PM
Sebastian, courts of law won't care about your heartfelt sympathies for "underdog" spammers -- and nor should anyone who uses e-mail. (Stunning that you're actually rooting for those cockroaches!)
The spammers are clearly violating Microsoft's Terms of Use, which every Hotmail account user must agree to and which explicitly prohibits usage that "in any manner could damage, disable, overburden, or impair any Microsoft server, or the network(s) connected to any Microsoft server, or interfere with any other party's use and enjoyment of any Services." Moreover, it is clearly within Microsoft's legal right to sue these spammers under the CAN-SPAM Act. And Microsoft will rightly win.
You call that "ingenious" on behalf of the spammers? Evidently, Sebastian, you set the bar very, very low. I call it begging for a lawsuit.
AnthonyJun 21st 2010 2:07PM
I don't think Sebastian is defending spammers. He was saying it was an ingenious method for the spammers, but dislikes that they actually do what they do. He said "Spam isn't just a vehicle for Viagra spam! Viruses and malware ride the spam sedan too -- profiteering spammers make it easier for your friends and family to get infected, and for that they should HANG!" Note the "and for that they should HANG!" commentary. I think you should go back and reread the article. It showed ingenuity, but was a very stupid idea.
Sebastian AnthonyJun 21st 2010 4:18PM
I was amazed that he'd read the entire thing, but ignored the last two sentences... :P
Thank you for clarifying it for him!
Urban StrataJun 21st 2010 4:35PM
@Sebastian Anthony -- Oh, I certainly read the entire thing; I thought the last two sentences were supposed to be English sarcasm. ;)
Sebastian AnthonyJun 21st 2010 4:39PM
Ha, ha... touché!
DonJun 28th 2010 12:54AM
Root for the underdogs?
These spammers can go to hell and die.
Was that too much?