Microsoft Helps Write Oklahoma's Anti-Spyware Law

groovy.ambuj writes "The Inquirer reports that Microsoft has developed Oklahoma's 'Computer Spyware protection Act'. The law will supposedly protect people from unwarranted hackers or virus attacks and can fine individuals up to $1M who are found guilty of breaking into a computer without the owners knowledge. At the same time, it also allows some of the better known capable companies to 'look' into your computer for possible virus/spyware and fix the problem without informing you. And, while these friends are doing their job, they can also take the moment to do other things. "

Comments

Big Brother, nothing we can do?

[Komarechka]

When then pen it into law that companies can look inside of out machine to "fix" problems, does that mean it is illegal to prevent them from doing so?

Hmmm... On one hand...

[ursabear]

My Pavlovian reaction was, "OhhhhhhhhNNNNNNNNNNNNNNooooooooooooooooo!"

Now that the bell has rung, my kibbles are ingested, and I feel better...
If you were a state agency and needed security expertise, where would you go to get the information you need (to write a law/rule/proposition/etc. that is based on highly technical stuff)? Would you go to a security firm? Would you go to the local IT management firm? Would you go to a support shop like Geeks 'r' Us?

A little voice inside my head (yes, I have those sometimes - be afraid) says that something inside the law may be done to tilt things Microsoft's way - but I don't know that Microsoft would be such a bad partner (all feelings of MSHatred(tm) aside - just looking at it as a business).

Re:Uhhhhh.... (more rights erosion)

[Intron]

Next thing you know, websites will be trying to prevent you from copying and pasting quotes into /. articles using hokey javascript.

Re:Who mod'ed that "troll"?

[aplusjimages]

That's scarey, not only will Microsoft be able to snoop inside my computer and install stuff, but those who always hack Microsoft programs will be able to do the same. Plus how will Microsoft know whats good for my computer. I'm running a certain version of Adobe Premiere on my Win2K machine. It runs fine as long as I keep it on SP2. If I upgrade the service pack, I unleash a whole new set of bugs that cause Premiere to act the fool. What if Microsoft decides it's about time I upgraded to SP4 and they screw up my stuff?

Re:Why

[tompaulco]

Why Oklahoma?
Because Oklahoma is trying like mad to become a progressive state. I live in Oklahoma, and the state definitely has a stigma of being unimportant, stuck in the past, backwoods, you name it. Even our local radio jockeys often quip "Welcome to Oklahoma, please set your watch back 50 years". However, the government in Oklahoma is attempting to make the state more mainstream. Even though many Oklahoma businesses have no web presence, the state has built web site portals to create at least some web presence for practically any business in Oklahoma. Oklahoma was the first state to regulate medicines that were being used to make methamphetamines. Oklahoma doles out big incentives to companies like Dell to bring high tech industry into the state. I can't say I'm crazy about them choosing Microsoft as a partner, but at least the state is doing something constructive.

This is legalizing spyware!

[Opportunist]

Think about it for a moment. If I got that right (a lawyer might clarify the details), when I write some software that requires "updates", I am allowed to sniff in your computer when you agreed first to use my software.

This means, though, that if I write a, say, download manager, that installs sniffing software that phones home (hey, it's just updating itself, after all it has to update the ad-pages I pop in your face!), this actually becomes legal. I could harvest whatever information I want from your machine, and it is legal. If you should dare to install an ad-blocker, I'll remove it (legally), because it interferes with the operation of my adware ridden spyware.

Nice to know. Time to open some software company in Oklahoma.