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Spyware Fines OKed By House
glimmy writes "The US House of Represenatives passed a bill that imposes fines on the use of Spyware by a majority of 399-1. This bill excludes programs used by the FBI or spy agencies, though."
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Spyware isn't as secretive as they seem to think it was. Much of it is installed with full knowledge of it's existance, but many people ignore the functions of what they download. I really doubt this will do anything at all because people will keep downloading things like WeatherBug, and think that all it's doing is reporting the weather...
These companies like Claria (Gator) will just hire lawyers to make sure the agreement you click yes to will protect them from any legal action. I would love to see these companies put out of business, but the bottom line is people agree to installing this software. It sucks for me to remove it from my friends' computers, but that's just the way it is. No matter how much I convince them not to install free windows software or use firefox, they won't change their habits any time soon.
Still, it's a step in the "right direction."
Tell me where the US government has domain over the citizens and organizations of other countries?
"If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living."
- Seneca
Osama has sold out Islam as portions of the Quron teach against what he has done.
Bush has sold out per his dealings and love of China even though they have a forced abortion policy.
Kill-Jonh Il has sold out as he is a professed commie and he doesn't follow the teachings of that system (not that any commie leader in history has)
Only Microsoft has that kind of control
Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
A transaction implies consent on the behalf of both parties. The kinds of spyware that are being banned are the kinds that do not seek the users permission to install or do what they do. That's not a transaction. It should be a crime, and this bill will make it one.
Ron Paul is one of the finest senators we have. It's worth reading why he voted 'no'. He is a man of principle and isn't scared to stand against the vast majority when something violates his principles.
So in answer to your question, I can't say that I would like to be him, because I like being myself, but if I had to choose among which elected officials to be, he would be in my top 5, easy.
The only defeat is when you compromise your principles. Then you are utterly defeated.
Maybe Ron Paul (L-Texas) actually read the full text of the bill and understood that beneath it's geek-friendly title was a freedom-unfriendly law.
You may think its funny to criminalize spyware, but that's the first step down a very slippery slope. Spywares are not viruses or trojans. They only get installed via user consent. A government that has the power to criminalize spyware between a consenting user and publisher has the power to criminalize [insert any consensual activity here].
You don't outlaw mere annoyances. That's taking the power of government way too far, no matter what political stripe you are. Do we ban nose picking next? Belching at the table? Spyware may be annoying, but if it's on your system, you have only yourself to blame. If you're an admin and it's running amock on your wee 'bairns then look to your users and not to the spyware publishers.
Don't blame me, I didn't vote for either of them!
I just spent a while this weekend trying to remove dozens of these things from my parents' laptop and I decided the main problem are three things in windows:
1. IE shouldn't be "customizable" by other apps at all, period. Any extra browser bars added on should be able to be seen and removed (permanently) just by going to the "View > Toolbar" menu.
2. There should be one easy way to see for sure what programs are running at startup and decide if you want them to or not. It'd be nice if you didn't have anything in your "startup" folder if nothing started up when windows booted! Somehow, that's not the case. Being able just to stop these things from auto-starting when you do get one would be 99% of cure.
3. Every application should be able to be fully uninstalled from the "add/remove programs" area.
If these three things just worked, spyware would soon be a dim memory of the early 2000s!
Yes, this is the "Spy Act", as opposed to the "I-Spy" act (4661).
Looking at the provisions it seems the attribution "Spyware" is more a case of hype though. The act is much wider in its scope than what a /. reader would define as spyware.
1B,C,D,E could be paraphrased in a nanosecond by the average /. reader. Leaving the most important provision: "utilizing such computer to send unsolicited information or material from the protected computer to others".
And yes it does contain a provision banning "Collecting personally identifiable information through the use of a keystroke logging function or similar function."
This part, "Removing, disabling, or rendering inoperative a security, anti-spyware, or anti-virus technology installed on the computer." ...would be easy to break. I suppose the action has to be "wilful".