Congress is debating three bills that would protect citizens from spyware, but some IT professionals doubt whether the legislation can successfully address the problem. The measures are generally designed to criminalize software that takes control of computers to collect personal data or display ads without the PC user's consent. . . . Jeffrey Jarzabek, . . . "Laws only work when they can be enforced," . . . "The problem here is that the federal government doesn't know how to find people and then track their behavior. Just like the CAN-SPAM Act, if you cannot find the culprits, what can you do?"Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR), who introduced the Counter Spy Act, said that spyware is a "serious infringement upon basic levels of privacy and security" and that there are very few, if any, legitimate reasons to launch it. He said his bill would prohibit the covert embedding of spyware on a user's computer without first obtaining their consent. The bill also requires the Federal Trade Commission to enforce the law as if a violation was an unfair or deceptive practice. The agency would have authority to bring a civil action against the perpetrators and criminal penalties could be imposed. "My bill protects consumers' right to privacy and their confidence in using the Internet," Pryor said. "The industry has failed in self-regulating. It's time to step in and enact serious consequences against those who use this invasive and deceptive practice." . . . [Read More]
Tags: Arkansas, Mark Pryor, spyware, US Senate
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