House Passes Prison For Spyware

[Tommy]

Borrowed from the max cash newletter

WASHINGTON - Two days after approving a bill to slap civil penalties on those slipping surreptitious spyware into users' computers, the U.S. House passed a criminal version promising up to five years in the calaboose for those convicted of slipping spyware into computers without user permission.

http://www.avnonline.com/index.php?P...tent_ID=200402

[Greenguy]

While it is a good idea, here's yet another example of the US Gov't thinking that the internet is based solely here in the States.

[domweb]

I agree...it'll just move totally offshore.

But this is one time I can't fault the sentiment, even if it is short sighted.

[coatsy]

Originally posted by domweb
I agree...it'll just move totally offshore.

But this is one time I can't fault the sentiment, even if it is short sighted.

Yea I agree

[RockDaddy]

I'm still waiting for them to can spam

[Greenguy]

Originally posted by RockDaddy
I'm still waiting for them to can spam

That's actually a very good point! Spam is still the same & I can count on one hand the nubmer of spam subjects I receive on a daily basis that start with "Sexually Explicit Material" or whatever the spammers are supposed to use.

[domweb]

When spam is outlawed, only Outlaws will spam?

Out of curiousity...I know webmasters (not personally) who have spammed their website to make cash.

But who is using the info on spyware? I have a hard time believing that some guy with a couple thousand free site or a few pay sites is benefitting from spyware.

Who is using the info or buying it? I understand it's a great way to gather demographic's, but who is buying or using the data?

Have I missed something fundemental?

[tickler]

Originally posted by domweb
Who is using the info or buying it? I understand it's a great way to gather demographic's, but who is buying or using the data?

All information has value. If you always buy Coke at the grocery store, the next time you open the mini-bar it will probably be stocked with Coke. Less inventory to mange = more profits.

I also see that there is now another Trojan going around that kills other Trojans.
But they aren't sure yet what other functions it will do.

[Far-L]

How exactly is spyware being defined? For example, couldn't a cookie that is tracking a user still be considered spyware in a sense?

Pardon my ignorance in this matter... and many thanks to anyone that can point me in the direction of an answer.

[Greenguy]

Hey Far-L

They will probably clissify anythign that's "hidden" on your system after surfing as spyware - cookies included.

But like the Can Spam thing, it's just a lot of "We're trying to do good in the eyes of the public" & probably won't change a damn thing.

[Far-L]

So who do you think Bill Gates will share a cell with then?

[RockDaddy]

So who do you think Bill Gates will share a cell with then?

I'm guessing it won't be Osama or any email spammers.