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Australian Gov't To Consider Spyware Laws

Posted by Hemos on from the about-time dept.

bernie writes "It seems the US is not the only country with spyware legislation in the works. According to this Computerworld article, a bill outlawing the 'harvesting without consent corporate or personal information via a Web site or with software applications for marketing purposes will be classified as 'spyware'' and is set to go before parliament later this year. In addition to making all 'spyware' opt-in the bill will cover 'malware' such as viruses, trojans, and worms. Interestingly, the article cites lack of 'international cooperation' as a barrier to effective enforcement of cyberlaws. Also included is a statement from the EFF that it 'would like to see a more serious effort made to use existing laws against unfair trade practices, misrepresentation, computer fraud and abuse, before new technology-specific laws are passed'."

11 of 76 comments (clear)

  1. To repeat: by swordboy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Unless the Australian government has jurisdiction in foreign countries, this has the same affect as spam laws:

    The assholes just relocate to another country.

    --

    Life is the leading cause of death in America.
    1. Re:To repeat: by Techguy666 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That doesn't mean that governments should just give up and not make these laws. Enough of these laws get passed around the world, those who intentionally wish to violate these laws will have no place to hide.

      After the laws are passed, even if a few second or third world countries allow spyware / spam creators to work in their countries, the countries with spyware/spam laws can form a "coalition of the willing" and blackhole violating countries altogether until they comply and pass similar laws. (Wow, even Bush can serve as an educational example.)

      Regardless of the politics of tossing entire countries into a blackhole filter, the point is that inaction allows spammers and spyware creators to breed.

  2. The best part by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Users will be required to install the Australian government's spyware to make sure other spyware isn't installed.

  3. Good! by suqur · · Score: 5, Informative

    The more spyware/malware laws we get the better. It's so frustrating trying to use a computer with tons of spyware and spyware trojans. Ugh. And they say the average PC has 28 spyware programs running on it! This needs to stop.
    It took me about 8 hours to clean out a friends computer the other day. He had about 15 viruses all installing spyware daily.
    Here's some suggestions for cleaning your computer:

    Grisoft's AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition - this is key. Free auto-updates too
    http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php

    Lavasoft's Ad-Aware - run it every so often, and always be sure to update it manually.
    http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html?pa rt=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button

    CWShredder - removes only a few trojans that give you tons of ads, but does a better job of fully removing them than ad-aware.
    http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

    Spybot-Search & Destroy - Similar to Ad-Aware. You should run both.
    http://download.com.com/3000-8022-10122137.html

    1. Re:Good! by Mz6 · · Score: 5, Informative
      "Spybot-Search & Destroy - Similar to Ad-Aware. You should run both.
      Is it really necessary to run both? I've been fine with just Adaware for a while now."

      Actually, it's recommended to run both of them. The reason is because they both use different methods of determining spyware. While one may not find/remove a spyware program, the other may remove it perfectly. It shouldn't take much to install and run both nd you are protected that much more. Besides, you can't beat the rpice... right?

      --
      Hmmm.
    2. Re:Good! by suqur · · Score: 5, Informative
      Wonderful Anti-Virus software, but what does it have to do with spyware/malware?

      So many people don't run Anti-virus software, and many of these people are the same that open up email attachments they weren't expecting.

      There are TONS of trojans out now with the simple payload of installing spyware on your PC.

      The PC that I mentioned I worked on recently had over 500 dll/registry keys/executables and bookmarks (not counting another 300 cookies) that were found as spyware. I removed them all with Ad-Aware, and after a reboot, another 150 files were immediately put back by about 15 different trojans.

      I consider anti-virus to be a huge deterrent to spyware.

      Is it really necessary to run both? I've been fine with just Adaware for a while now.

      They both find different things. So yeah, it's good to run both. Spybot also has some nice features to automatically setup your hosts file and other things to block even more spyware.

  4. Too bad.... by tha_mink · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Spyware. It's nasty. But...(and I hate to say it), I make a pretty good amount of money removing it from client PCs. "Internet Optimizer" and "XXXToolBar" are 2 of the more particular nastier ones I come across. It makes it virtually impossible to use IE. When one finds out what these nasties do and how they do it, one gets surprised that they aren't illegal yet. I am all for making this stuff illegal but I sure will miss the extra income.

    --
    You'll have that sometimes...
  5. I have an idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let's pass a law. That always stops people.

  6. How Does This Work by somethinghollow · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When it says "Click Yes to install if you agree with the EULA." and the user does, what is the problem? People install spyware themselves. It's (at least for the most part) an ID-10T error, not an exploit. Are these governments going to MAKE users read and understand EULAs before installing things? Aren't these people warned in the EULA before they install? Granted, I hate spyware as much as the next, but the worst I've had is DoubleClick cookies that AdAware says is spyware. I just click "No" by default now instead of "Ok" when the "install software" box pops up in IE (at work... never had the problem with Safari at home).

    1. Re:How Does This Work by WoodenRobot · · Score: 5, Interesting
      Aren't these people warned in the EULA before they install?

      One nasty problem with this is the fact that often by the time you get to a page with a EULA, the damn site's installing spyware - and the EULA's something along the lines of "by looking at this page, you agree to be infested".

      Yeah, there's a EULA, but it's effectively worthless, and is just a get-out-of-trouble clause for the malware supplier...

      --
      ---
      "I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing and it was everything that I thought it could be."
  7. But will this REALLY stop spyware? by caffeineboy · · Score: 5, Insightful
    It seems to me that there are two major categories of spyware:
    • The kind that tries to be "legit" and actually tells the user (somewhere in the EULA) that it is installing. Claria/Gator is this type.
    • The kind that doesn't give a damn and installs through known IE exploits and weaknesses (Cool Web Search and Xupiter are like this)

    The problem that I can see is that type 1, even though it sucks and no sane person wants it on their computer if it were presented honestly, is probably already compliant with these laws because somewhere in the EULA it explains what it is doing. Never mind that even moderately intelligent people just click "OK" as soon as any dialog box pops up on their computer (my fiance still hits "OK" whenever she goes to an encrypted page since she doesn't take the time to read the box and click "don't show this dialog again").

    The problem with the second type is that they don't give a damn now and they're not going to give a damn. I can't belive that using exploits to install software is not already illegal somewhere, and many of these type of companies are already out of jurisdiction...

    To tell the truth, I can't think of a good way that we will get around this. We have to remove the motive - perhaps prosecuting the people that advertise this way?
    --
    +++ ATH0 +++