FYI, as a former customer, we received this today... ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ Charles Sprickman Internet Channel INCH System Administration Team (212)243-5200 spork@inch.com access@inch.com ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 6 Aug 1997 11:36:21 -0400 (EDT) From: UUNET Network Operations <noc@UU.NET> Reply-To: help@UU.NET To: alter-ops@UU.NET Subject: UUNET Toughens Anti Spamming Policy Newsgroups: uunet.status Dear Customer, As a result of the recent increase in spamming activity over the Internet, we have strengthened our anti-spamming policy. Please see the attached press release for details. In addition, as you may know, UUNET has been targeted by a group of newsgroup administrators who have mistakenly accused UUNET of ignoring spamming complaints. This group has taken actions which may impact your ability to use the UUNET news service. The attached release describes our response to these actions. Please note the effect of filtering news postings from sources whose identity cannot be authenticated, as indicated in the press release, will be to block postings from those using UUNET's news servers from a dynamic address pool. There should be no effect on postings by UUNET Internet 9-5 customers or customers of UUNET resellers who post to the reseller's news servers. Single-User Dial-up customers will not be able to post articles to UUNET's news servers. UUNET intends for this measure to be temporary, pending the implementation of user authentication technology. We will keep you advised of further developments. Please do not hesitate to contact customer support with any questions you may have on this matter at 1(800) 900-0241 or at 1(703) 206-5440. Thank You, UUNET FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: UUNET: WorldCom: Media Relations: Investor Relations: Mara Radis Gary Brandt 703-206-5441 601-360-8544 marar@uu.net Public Relations: Josh Howell 601-360-8750 UUNET TOUGHENS ANTI-SPAMMING POLICY Largest ISP Re-Affirms Zero-Tolerance Policy Toward Spammers FAIRFAX, Va., August 5, 1997-UUNET Technologies, Inc., the world's largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) and a subsidiary of WorldCom, Inc., today announced it will take additional measures against the growing tide of mail and newsgroup spammers. The new measures will make it much more difficult for spammers to post messages through UUNET, and are designed to enable UUNET to identify the origin of a specific spam. "Spamming" is the sending of unsolicited material to a wide list of recipients, either through the mail or the news systems of the Internet. UUNET has a zero-tolerance policy toward spamming and understands that it is a widespread problem for Internet users. The spamming problem does not originate with UUNET or its resellers, but with a small number of end users, who are typically customers of those resellers. More than 99 percent of the spamming investigations conducted by UUNET involve a reseller. UUNET actively assists in identifying the spammer, and the reseller then follows its own policies, which typically include warnings to its customers and eventual termination. "We've been working behind the scenes, hand-in-glove with our resellers, to stem the flow of spam and we've stopped a lot of offenders," said John Sidgmore, UUNET's CEO. "However, current technology makes spamming easier, so we've found it necessary to strengthen our anti-spamming measures." UUNET's anti-spamming policy includes: - limiting the length of email recipient lists; - blacklisting mail sent from known spamming locations or organizations; - maintaining a mailbox (abuse@uu.net) which allows victims to report spam incidents; - providing a dedicated customer service and security staff which investigates spamming incidents; and - enforcing a customer service agreement which provides for service termination in the event of spamming. UUNET is now adding the following measures: - implementing new technology which will identify the source of a spam; - filtering news postings from sources whose identity cannot be authenticated; and - discontinuing the relay of third-party mail messages to non-UUNET destinations (a common technique used by spammers to hide their identity). -more- Spamming Release/page two Misinformed Group Disrupts UUNET News Service Late last week, UUNET was singled out by a group of Internet news administrators who mistakenly accused UUNET of ignoring spamming complaints. The group has taken indiscriminate actions which effectively prohibit newsgroup postings that travel over the UUNET infrastructure, regardless of whether the postings qualify as spam. "These actions are clearly the result of a misunderstanding," said Sidgmore. "The group obviously was not aware of the strong anti-spamming steps we have taken on behalf of our own and our reseller's customers. Nonetheless we deplore these actions, which we believe to be illegal." Today UUNET initiated technical measures to counteract the effects of the group's actions. UUNET said it would turn the matter over to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. About UUNET Technologies Headquartered in Fairfax, Va., UUNET Technologies, Inc. is the world's largest Internet service provider, offering a comprehensive range of access options, World Wide Web hosting services, security products and consulting services to businesses, professionals, and on-line service providers. The company's network is comprised of nearly 1,000 Points of Presence (POPs) throughout the United States and in Canada, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as connections to Internet service providers around the world. Founded in 1987, UUNET is recognized as the first commercial Internet service provider and is a subsidiary of WorldCom, Inc. UUNET's World Wide Web address is http://www.uu.net. About WorldCom WorldCom is a global business telecommunications company. Operating in more than 50 countries, the company is a premier provider of facilities-based and fully integrated local, long distance, international and Internet services. WorldCom's World Wide Web address is http://www.wcom.com. The common and depositary shares of WorldCom trade on the Nasdaq National Market (U.S.) under the symbol WCOM and WCOMP, respectively.