The Spam Act 2003 in the Age of Social Media: Evolution, Impact, and Future Prospects

Summary:

The Spam Act 2003, introduced in Australia, focused primarily on email, SMS, and MMS communications. Since its introduction, the digital landscape has undergone significant changes, with the rise of social media, messaging apps, bots, and user-generated content. The Act faces challenges in adapting to newer technologies, with concerns over social media advertising, direct messaging, automated bots, and encrypted messaging apps. The article explores the need to either amend the Act to specifically include modern technologies or adopt alternative approaches, such as international cooperation, public awareness, and education, to effectively regulate unsolicited electronic messages in today's digital era.