MSI Internet Behaviour Poll reveal spam laws not working

Spam on the increase? Credit cards safe to use online - depending on the trustworthiness of the site's ‘brand'? Kiwi business ahead of Australian in adoption of Internet Use Policies?

The results of an online survey conducted by MSI Legal and Accounting Network in October provides snapshot answers to these questions, covering internet behaviour and attitudes in workplaces across Australia and New Zealand. A total of 760 Australians and Kiwis responded to the survey across one week in October.

Snapshot of results:

Spam/junk mail

• The survey revealed 80% of respondents receive up to 20 spam emails per day, while 11.8% receive between 21 or more.
• The survey also showed that just over 55% of respondents said that spam has increased in the past year.
• Of those who said it had increased, 21% said that it has increased by as much as 10%.

At the other end of the scale just 5.5% of the Australians surveyed and 19% of the New Zealanders said they receive no spam emails.

Credit Card safety versus purchasing items on the internet

• While almost 60% of all respondents believe that it is safe to purchase items on the Internet with a credit card, this is largely dependent on the perceived ‘trustworthiness' of the site they are buying from.
• Only 31% of Australians and 24% of Kiwis gave an unqualified ‘yes' on this internet safety issue
• A total of 92% have used their credit card to purchase items on the Internet in the past year.
• The survey confirms that there are no large variations between the Australian and New Zealand respondents' views on credit card safety and the Internet.

Internet access and personal usage versus the Internet Policy

• Almost 95% of respondents said that, in their own workplace, most colleagues have access to the Internet; however, the survey uncovered large disparities between Australian and New Zealand respondents when it came to usage.
• Personal usage of the Internet during working hours showed 71% of Kiwis and 47% of their Australian counterparts making personal use of the internet for up to 10 minutes per day.
• However, 43% of Australians said they use the internet for personal reasons for up to 30 minutes per day, with only 24% of Kiwis spending this amount of time on personal use.

Another large variation regards the prevalence of formal Internet Use Policies in operation in the workplace:

• Just over 47% of Australian respondents compared to 76% of Kiwis revealed that an internet use policy is in place in their workplace.
• Similarly, it showed fewer than 38% of Australians compared to almost 86% of the New Zealand respondents disclosed that the policy covers usage of the Internet for personal reasons during work hours.
• More than 50% of Australians working for a company with an internet use policy said the policy in force in their workplace did not cover personal use.

Comments:

MSI Legal & Accounting Network worldwide official spokesman, Charles Hornor said: "It's fascinating to see that in spite of recent anti-Spam Legislation in both Australia and New Zealand, the majority of those polled say spam is on the increase. While there have been one or two reports of companies and individuals been taken to task or fined, the laws don't seem to have had the desired effect. Importantly, neither the New Zealand nor the Australian laws carry weight overseas so spam coming in from foreign corporations to both countries is almost unstoppable."

Australians were brought supposedly into a new era in April 2004 when the Australian Spam Act became law. According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), they have issued hundreds of warnings and 16 fines to eight companies and individuals since the Act came into effect. Some of these fines have been considerable - a $4.5 million fine in one case alone.

The NZ Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act became law in February 2007, although no current statistics regarding any fines are available. The Act itself didn't come in to effect until 5^th September 2007 owing of a six month transition period.

Please click here for the Internet Poll 2007 results.