Email spammers will face new controls on their unsolicited advertising under proposed legislation introduced by Singapore, an AFP report said.
The AFP report said Singapore's draft Spam Control Act aims to control the electronic commercial messages sent in bulk by email or to mobile phones.
The AFP report said the draft act was introduced to parliament and must undergo further consideration by legislators.
The report said unsolicited messages will have to include an address or number to allow the recipient to unsubscribe and messages must clearly identify themselves as advertisements, the bill says.
It also forbids the sending of any electronic message to addresses obtained through a 'dictionary attack', which automatically generates possible recipients, or through software which searches the Internet for electronic addresses, the report said.
The bill gives recipients of unwanted messages the power to launch civil court action against violators, who could be liable for damages up to S$25 dollars ($16) for each message, the report further said.