Viagra, viruses and virgins: A pan-Atlantic comparative analysis on the vanquishing of spam

Even the most technologically-advanced experts at the time would not have recognised or anticipated the legacy left by Monty Python and their sketch, based on the continual and ludicrous use of the word ‘spam’ on a restaurant menu. Today, that sketch has coined a second and more sinister meaning of the word recognisable to Internet users worldwide. This article seeks to provide an analytical overview of two of the key international pieces of anti-spam legislation, specifically the European Union's E-Privacy Directive and the American CAN-SPAM Act. It will examine some of the key differences – actual and philosophical. The article will then progress to suggestions for end the curse of spam, again with an international emphasis.