Spam

Spam is a broad term that applies across many digital platforms — messaging apps, online forums, chat services, email, and even advertisements. But the form most people recognise is email spam. The idea is simple: someone floods a large number of users with unwanted messages, and the inbox becomes a dumping ground of junk.

Organisations or individuals, depending on their needs, either buy or create a mailing list — a collection of email addresses. They then repeatedly send advertisement links and invitation emails to everyone on that list. The result is unnecessary junk piling up in the receiver's inbox. Worse, spam often tricks a user into buying something they never wanted, or into downloading paid software or malware disguised as a legitimate offer. …