UK may be getting serious about shutting down spammers

I've mentioned this before, but not stressed it as much as it needs stressing — the number one reason we have spam is because the ISPs let their customers get away with it.

Now, it looks like ISPs in the UK are getting their act together.

Computer Weekly reports that the 200 members of the London Internet Exchange have gotten together around a plan to crack down on spam. They've agreed to principals laid out in a paper on spam-busting techniques written by Cambridge University internet security expert Richard Clayton. The gist of the paper seems to be that spammers can be identified through traffic analysis techniques without violating anybody's privacy. Calling Captain Obvious to the white courtesey telephone.

Of course, this could all be wishful thinking. I'll see if I can't get a copy of this paper to see for myself.