A bill to take the “spy” out of spyware got a public hearing before a Congressional subcommittee Wednesday. The legislation filed by Rep. Mary Bono (R-California) would require spyware purveyors to inform computer users of the presence, nature and function of their applications, as well as seek permission from users before downloading intrusive goods to their computers. “Unfortunately, consumers regularly and unknowingly download software programs that have the ability to track their every move,” Bono argued.
I am *so* glad to see that some progress is being made toward regulating the spyware industry. If companies want to collect and analyze information about me openly, with my permission, using their own resources, in order to better understand my needs and interests, that's an acceptable marketing practice. When they sneakily - or secretly - steal information from me without asking permission, using MY resources, and their software causes my computer system to slow down and possibly freeze or even crash, that is unforgivable. Everyone's been up in arms about spam recently, shouldn't we take the same stance against spyware?
I am glad to see that at last our representatives are taking a good hard look at the problems that can be caused by spyware installations. I have been an outspoken critic of these programs for over two years and have watched as these programs have gotten more aggressive. Hopefully, this bill will not get "watered down" or fall through the cracks of the system like previous attempts at legislation. I also hope that this new legislation can also close some of the pitfalls and loopholes of the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) which allows software publishers to change the terms of the contract after purchase (or download) and amend the "E-sign" act to make privacy policies binding so companies can not change or alter them after the fact like they currently are allowed to do without proper notification. . FYI: In order for this legislation to get passed consumers need to contact their representatives to let them know that they are fed up with these adware/spyware companies exploiting their privacy & personal information for their own economic gain. . Debbie. http://www.unwantedlinks.com
I have found two good resources about this spyware junk that keeps infesting my machine. http://www.spywareguide.com has an extensive searchable database and in some cases the company's names, it also includes removal instructions. Http://www.spywareinfo.com is another good resource for learning about spy's latest scummy tactics.
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Spyware Targeted at Congressional Hearing
Posted by: John P. Mello Jr. November 20, 2003 06:40 AMA bill to take the “spy” out of spyware got a public hearing before a Congressional subcommittee Wednesday. The legislation filed by Rep. Mary Bono (R-California) would require spyware purveyors to inform computer users of the presence, nature and function of their applications, as well as seek permission from users before downloading intrusive goods to their computers. “Unfortunately, consumers regularly and unknowingly download software programs that have the ability to track their every move,” Bono argued.
Hopefully, this bill will not get "watered down" or fall through the cracks of the system like previous attempts at legislation.
I also hope that this new legislation can also close some of the pitfalls and loopholes of the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) which allows software publishers to change the terms of the contract after purchase (or download) and amend the "E-sign" act to make privacy policies binding so companies can not change or alter them after the fact like they currently are allowed to do without proper notification. .
FYI: In order for this legislation to get passed consumers need to contact their representatives to let them know that they are fed up with these adware/spyware companies exploiting their privacy & personal information for their own economic gain. .
Debbie.
http://www.unwantedlinks.com