Q3 of 2006 has seen some high profile legal action being taken against spammers. In September, the Australian Communications Authority (ACMA) launched an investigation into the activities of a man suspected of sending more than two billion 'Viagra spam' e-mails, while in the US, action is being taken against two companies accused of sending unsolicited e-mails about gambling and alcoholic drinks to children.

Also in the U.S., William Bailey Jr. of North Carolina, faces a maximum sentence of 55 years in jail and US$2.75 million in fines if found guilty of illegally downloading contact details of 80,000 members of the America College of Physicians.

Asia continues to be the largest source of spam, although the proportion of spam it relays decreased by 6.1 percent since Q2 2006. Europe is currently in second position, but is closing the gap, having increased the share of spam it produces by 4.8 percent in the last quarter.