A new code of advertising has come into force, promising to clamp down on unsolicited e-mail and text message marketing campaigns.

Sending junk e-mail is known as "spamming" and is the bane of many a computer user's life.

The Advertising Standards Authority has been receiving a growing number of complaints about electronic messages.

It says the number of people getting in touch about unwanted text messaging has increased tenfold.

But when you actually look at the figures, the complaints have risen from just six in 2001 to 60.

Investigate

However, it has prompted the ASA to include more new media provisions in the latest version of its code of practice.

From June you must give explicit consent to receive marketing e-mails.

If you turn on your computer and it's full of junk mail, you can complain to the ASA.

It cannot take action itself, but it can investigate and if, necessary, pass the case on to the Office of Fair Trading.

If the company continues to send unwanted e-mails, the OFT can then prosecute.

Statutory

One of the concerns about the new code is that it is still self-regulatory rather than statutory.

Claire Forbes: Small in comparison

But the ASA, which dealt with 14,000 complaints last year, says the code has been going for 40 years and is well-respected in the industry.

"Those 14,000 complaints came out of over 30 million advertisements that were published," says the ASA's Claire Forbes.

"So the number of complaints to the ASA is really very small in comparison to the amount of advertising that's out there."

But what the new code does do is to make the rules governing electronic mail more strict than those covering traditional methods.

Measures

If you suffer from unwanted mail, there are measures you can take to have your name taken off mailing lists.

Other changes in the ASA code include stopping adverts implying that alcohol has positive properties such as bringing you friends or curing loneliness.

And car advertising will not be able to promote the speed of vehicles.