It has to be a good thing, right?

Lev · May 28, 2005

Extract taken from BBC News website today....

US law makers have voted to introduce harsher penalties for those who spread spyware on people's computers.
The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly for two bills which clamp down on spyware programs.

The I-SPY Prevention Act of 2005 and the SPY Act introduce multi-million dollar fines and prison sentences.

<snip>

The I-SPY Prevention Act of 2005 makes it an offence to access a computer without permission via spyware programs and introduces sentences of up to five years in prison for criminal activity.

The SPY Act, means firms need a user's permission before installing programs onto their computers.

The bills would also mean harsher penalties for those behind phishing scams.

<snip>

The two bills now go to the Senate for further consideration.

DavidGP · May 28, 2005

sounds good in theory, but in the real world how hard or damm near impossible will that be to issue penalties to spam/spyware/virii/phishing makers in say russia, china etc ?

as the majority of these problems are not coming out of the USA/UK etc

It would only work in the software sence for program makers that add spyware to their programs that dont alert the user to them being installed and if that software company is in the USA or UK or another country that will allow US law to procecute its citizens

MetalNight · May 28, 2005

so companys in teh uk or us ask russian or chinese companys to put spy ware on other computer artound the world

Shadow_Puter_Dude · May 28, 2005

So, by saying the user has to grant permission for it to be installed on the system, they really mean read the EULA throughly before accepting the terms. So ACCEPT = Spyware, DECLINE = prg won't install and I wasted $45 USD. And that's the rub if you want to run a program that contains spyware, and several commercial programs do have spyware, Back Web being one such, you must ACCEPT the terms of the EULA.

MetalNight · May 28, 2005

theres probably a way you can get arround it

Shadow_Puter_Dude · May 28, 2005

No, as it is installed as part of the progam installation process, removing it in most cases 'breaks' the program in question, and could quite possibly be in violation of the EULA.

MetalNight · May 28, 2005

well they might eventually set up a law against that aswell.. i know that alot of freeware and share ware programs have it built into them and some programs that you think helps you is made of it *cough* bonzi buddie*cough* but even that didnt tell you it was being installed..

one of the other things is how will they be able to prosecute these people cause they will have to catch them first wont they?

Shadow_Puter_Dude · May 28, 2005

Oh, they can and do catch 'them' when 'they' want to, the problem is offshore. Domestic US law don't me squat in China, Latavia, or Russia. That is what treaties are for, and those are useless when they aren't enforced.

MetalNight · May 28, 2005

so how much would be blocked out with otu china and all them being attacked for it?

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It has to be a good thing, right?

Lev MajorGeek

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