FTC joins foreign partners in recommending international efforts to combat spam.

The FTC, together with foreign partners, has called for stepped up cross-border law enforcement cooperation and increased public/private sector cooperation to combat spam. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) issued recommendations in this area in early May 2006. The OECD is an international forum of 30 countries, including the United States, established to promote economic growth, trade, and development.

Spam is a vehicle for deception, for spreading viruses and spyware, and for inducing consumers to provide confidential information that can later be used to commit identity theft. Spam poses unique challenges for law enforcement in that senders can send their messages from anywhere in the world to anyone in the world, thus making spam an international problem that must be addressed through international cooperation. The OECD's specific recommendations to address these challenges include the following.

1. Government enforcement agencies should have the necessary authority to take action against spammers located in their territory or against foreign spammers who target consumers in their territory.

2. Government enforcement agencies should have the ability to share information with foreign law enforcement officials in appropriate cases.

3. Government enforcement ...