Phone war declared on Shanghai ads

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3312765.stm

[Y'know, what's the harm in having everyone in the the office calling 
the 800# listed in the spam you get daily? It costs them nothing to 
send it, might as well hit them where it hurts, on their bottom line. ;)  - WK]


12 December, 2003

The authorities in Shanghai are deploying "phone pest" tactics to wage
war on people illegally putting up posters and advertisements around
the city.

 From next week, a computer using special audio software will call
numbers left on flyers with a message ordering the owner of the phone
to remove the advertisement and pay a fine.

According to the Shanghai Daily newspaper, the phones will be called
once an hour for the first two days.

The frequency of the phone harassment will then be raised gradually -
up to a maximum of one call every eight seconds.

The campaign is in response to growing public complaints about the
number of flyers that are put up on walls, lampposts and phone boxes
around Shanghai.

They advertise anything from medical cures to identity cards.

The new phone pest tactics have already been tried out in neighbouring
cities like Suzhou.

In order to stop the calls, phone owners will have to pay a fine of
$6-60, or disconnect their number.



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