Hotmail officials say measures such as filtering and e-mail blocking are important because it puts control in the hands of their users. We give them the tools so they can make sure they're getting the e-mail they want and are protected from what they don't want. Yet they acknowledge that spammers have grown quite sophisticated about disguising their mailings from simple filtering, and users would quickly run out of options if the task of spam fighting was left solely up to them. That's why, even at Hotmail, most of the heavy lifting against bulk mailing is done by the Internet providers themselves. Hotmail officials, however, are reluctant to talk in detail about such efforts, fearing that doing so might give away secrets that could make it easier for spammers to target their members.
Spammers are real smart.
Doing 'the Right Thing' Meanwhile, some groups are pursuing other intriguing strategies against spam. Every time a spammer is reported to Removeyou, the company contacts the direct marketer and invites them to join the Removeyou service. Members forward their mailing lists to Removeyou, which will scan and remove the addresses of users who have opted out of commercial mailings. We are here to save it. We are simply forcing the bulk-mail industry to do the right thing.