Hong Kong is readying its first anti-spam laws, promising fines and long prison terms for serious offenders. The Chinese territory currently has no laws specifically outlawing junk email, and recent surveys looking at the sources of spam have included Hong Kong and China among the worst in the world.

The proposed new law appears to threaten companies which knowingly use spammers to market their products if they are based in, or do business in, Hong Kong. It may also allow action against individuals who authorise spam campaigns if they are in Hong Kong at the time the spam is sent.

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