Bluespam: Now Legal In The UK, Still Dumb Everywhere

from the don't-bother dept

Mon, Oct 15th 2007 7:45am — Mike Masnick

Bluespamming -- the process of sending marketing messages to mobile phones via Bluetooth -- has been a pretty dumb idea from the start. You're basically bothering people who are on the go and who don't care to hear from and effectively invading the "personal space" that is their mobile phone. Unfortunately, it appears that over in the UK, they've now decided that bluespamming is legal. The Information Commissioners Office there removed bluetooth as a marketing medium that requires opt-in notification. However, there's also some good news on the bluespamming front. Companies that are doing it are discovering that it's useless. It doesn't deliver results and is a waste of time, effort and money. But, it's legal!

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Filed Under: bluespam

13 Comments

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John Duncan Yoyo, 15 Oct 2007 @ 8:16am

I think the first step in stopping Bluespamming is to stick your head in the shop that is doing it and giving them a piece of your mind. Lots of people doing this should indicate the bad will this generates isn't worth the cost.
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Mike F.M, 15 Oct 2007 @ 8:16am

Do you think...
...that just because it's legal, it will continue to be used?

How will that whole thing of "If something's illegal, it's more attractive" affect this situation?

Being a useless advertising medium is probably why they haven't made it illegal. It's been said on here what a waste of time some laws are, maybe, just maybe, they realised it for this.

/First?
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Andrew Harris, 15 Oct 2007 @ 8:22am

fits the pattern
This is a privacy issue to me. If they can send you info what's to stop them from taken info, under the guise of marketing research. The Brits seem to be less concerned with privacy issues all around. CCTV has proliferated much quicker than it has in the U.S. as a means to control street crime and violence.The NYPD has a similar program of video subversion but many hoops have to be navigated and the area has to have a high instance of crime already. The Brits have already given up so much of there privcy, why not your address book too.
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* Miss Universe, 15 Oct 2007 @ 8:28am

Legal means Implied consent (BlueTooth)
Legal just meant Implied consent if you have Bluetooth turned on and walk past an establishment pushing a message - no more opt-in requirements because Bluetooth is being categorized differently than WAP mail.
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Joel Coehoorn, 15 Oct 2007 @ 9:14am

IMO, removing bluetooth from the list is a good thing. If bluespam doesn't work, then companies will learn that on their own and it will disappear. This is a classic case of government regulation where it's not needed.
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Oct 2007 @ 9:50am

Re:
Except that in most cases the shop staff probably know it already sucks as an idea but have no say in the companies idiotic policies.

Reminds me of working for a retailer that had a policy that the shop door must be open all day to show the company was inviting. It was funny because no one gave a shit about the door being opened or closed, except in winter when the customers got pissed off and left because it was so cold due to the door being constantly left open...
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tobydecks, 15 Oct 2007 @ 11:50am

Seems futile....
Do that many people have it turned on all the time anyway?

I only use it if someone has something I want i.e. a pic or ringtone or the like, then I turn it off afterwards.

I would find it exceptionally annoying if I did leave it turned on and started getting crap sent to me. For me it would have rather the opposite effect, in that if a company sent me something that way, I'd just think f**k off you twats!
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Eric the Grey, 15 Oct 2007 @ 12:22pm

Re: Do you think...
"Missed it by that much..."

Ahem. Anyway, I have to agree with this here. I don't know exactly how it works, but it seems to me that it will do more to piss people off, and unlike email spam, users of bluetooth devices are going to be more sophisticated, and will most likely find a way to complain about it, or will know how to prevent it (by turning off bluetooth discovery)

EtG
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Jeff, 15 Oct 2007 @ 1:11pm

bluetooth
on my blackberry and all my older phones for that mater i have to accept the connection before anything happens. so i guess I'm wandering can they bypass that safe guard built in to my phone and send me shit anyways or will that stop them. and if you leave your bluetooth open for anyone your just asking for someone to steal you address book and stuff.
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anthony Kaldis, 15 Oct 2007 @ 1:36pm

bluetooth
thoes with gsm phones should not have to worry, (sony ericsson) once you connect your headset, just go into the bluetooth settings and turn on powersaving (this only allowes one connection at a time, your headset)

however, i sorta like the idea of bluespamming. it tells people that if your not smart enough to use your phone, dont add another risk by turning on your bluetooth. (have you ever heard of bloover)
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zcat, 15 Oct 2007 @ 2:02pm

so what's the problem?
Internet shooting; nobody's doing it, nobody would want to, laws against it are a waste of time.

Bluespam; Nobody's doing it, nobody would want to, but we should still be making laws against it?

What gives?
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Haywood, 15 Oct 2007 @ 2:13pm

Seems like the Hookers could use this one
Instead of yelling hey buddy do you want a date, they could simply blue spam from their favorite corner.
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inc, 15 Oct 2007 @ 5:32pm

the problem with saying it's useless and not worth it is the wrong attitude because just as email spam.. it costs almost nothing to spam a whole lot of people ad it only takes one sales to recoup any money spent. The only advantage is bluetooth's limit range so you can find the bastards spamming you and complain.
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