The Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance will be fully implemented on Dec. 22, Director- General of Telecommunications of the Hong Kong government Marion Lai announced here Thursday.

People who want to decline unsolicited commercial electronic messages, also known as spam, can register their phone or fax numbers onto three do-not-call registers.

The three registers -- fax, short messages and pre-recorded phone calls will be launched in phases on Dec. 22, Jan. 8 and Jan. 25 respectively to ensure smooth operation. Protection will start from the 10th working day from the registration date.

Lai said that with the ordinance's full launch the existing interim measures to tackle unsolicited electronic messages will be withdrawn.

Those who have registered their numbers on the office's existing not-to-call list for rejecting junk faxes will have to register their numbers onto the do-not-call register for fax. People can also make unsubscribe requests direct to individual message senders.

Commercial electronic message senders are reminded to: provide accurate sender information and unsubscribe facility in a message; honor recipients' unsubscribe requests; not send messages to any phone or fax numbers listed on a do-not-call register unless consent has been obtained from the recipient; not withhold calling line identification information when sending pre-recorded telephone calls and fax messages; and not use misleading subject headings when sending email messages.

The Telecommunications Authority will issue enforcement notices to senders who have contravened these rules. Failure to comply with enforcement notices warrants a 100,000 HK dollars-fine (about 12,853 U.S. dollars) on first conviction, and up to 500,000 HK dollars on subsequent conviction.

(Xinhua News Agency December 21, 2007)