SCI/TECH: New Anti-Spyware Law Passed

On Tuesday in a near unanimous decision the U.S. House of Representatives has finally passed an anti-spyware law. This law will prevent companies from writing software and having it installed on your computer without your knowledge. It will also stop any malicious activites such as changing your start page on your web browser, key logging and launching pop-up ads that cannot be closed.



This will hopefully prevent a good portion of these companies installing software onto your PC without your knowledge but does this go far enough? I think the laws need to also make it very clear that anyone who has spyware on their computer to be able to easily uninstall it.

I have personally have had issues where it took me two months 2 virus scanner programs, 3 spyware killers and multiple registry edits to fully remove some of this software off of my computer before. This is luckily a start but I think the laws on this should be kept very strict to keep these people in check.

The problem's going to be if the companies aren't US based... however, half a loaf is better than nothing, and these spyware programs are a real nuiscance. I firewall the heck out of everything and don't download much of anything, so I'm fine... but I've seen PCs really messed up by this junk.

I'm glad our government has started to take the first steps in regulating spy-ware. Spyware is just another attack on our privacy so companies can sell stuff.

I'd like to find out who the person that voted against this act was, and teach them a lesson.

Byrd,

You are absolutely right we will never be able to get rid of everyone but I can forsee a list of these people being generated by the large backbone providers to blackhole these companies from even reaching to the us. They wont be able to maintain a business very well if no one is listening too them.

I have switched myself to Mozilla Firefox to prevent most of the spyware out there. Since most of this software is Internet Explorer specific, it helps prevent a sizable amount of the spyware out there.

It's about time. I'm tired of all these pop-ups and having to clean my computer. They can't get any information out of me anyway, but even then, it's all a great big hassle!

Let me tell you I am glad about this new law, something is better than nothing, It is nothing more annoying than having your browser highjack and directed to sides that you have not desire to be.

Or when you find a spyware installed in your computer and cannot be uninstalled because is "access denied" and is your darn own computer for god sake.

[edit on 6-10-2004 by marg6043]

Originally posted by marg6043
Or when your find a spyware installed in your computer and cannot be uninstalled it because is "access denied" and is your darn own computer for god sake.

As I said above, I think this is the most important thing in the law it looks like they have left out. I think this is criminal since they essentially take control of your computer and the software on it.

I have always wondered why script kiddies, hackers and crackers don't give something back to society by targeting these scumbag spyware and malware companies.

I reformat at least once per month because of these vermin and would love to see a little cyber-karma dished out.

This is definetly welcome,

I use the firewall norton internet security and before this used sygate personal edition (which is free and excellent!) IFYOU HAVEN'T GOT A PERSONAL FIREWALL INSTALLED GET SYGATE FROM HERE smb.sygate.com...

Once you have a filewall installed you will soon notice that virtually every program you have installed trys to conect to the internet from time to time - Gosh I get satisfaction out of blocking them !!!

Originally posted by deevee
I have always wondered why script kiddies, hackers and crackers don't give something back to society by targeting these scumbag spyware and malware companies.

They help, you have to go into their sites and look for solutions to some hard to get rid spyware and they give you good instructions.

It's just that some scripts you have to get them manually, even is they have unistallers they leave behind files that still do the work as spywares.

Originally posted by marg6043

Originally posted by deevee
I have always wondered why script kiddies, hackers and crackers don't give something back to society by targeting these scumbag spyware and malware companies.

They help, you have to go into their sites and look for solutions to some hard to get rid spyware and they give you good instructions.

It's just that some scripts you have to get them manually, even is they have unistallers they leave behind files that still do the work as spywares.

I meant by doing...ahem.....not so nice things to their service providers.

An excelent decision by the U.S. House of Representatives.

I hope more countries follow suite. Spyware/Malware is a right old pain in the behind.

On the other hand, we should not be downloading software from less than legitimate websites and should not be "sharing" less than legitimate software either.

Everything has a price.

EUREKA

BUT DOSEN'T THE PREZ
SIGN THE BILL INTO LAW
AS THE FINAL STEP ?

As has been mentioned, they haven't gotten rid of the access denied files- big problem.

Also we can't enforce this on software writers in other nations. America needs to search for a way to compromise and get into the World Criminal Court while avoiding certain pitfalls connected to that. We need this to regulate certain key issues such as the internet.

all the 'access denied' files can be removed in Safe mode. The only reason it's 'access denied' is because its currently being used.

Write down the file name, fire up safe mode, search, delete, fixed.

[edit on 7-10-2004 by IBM]

It's about time! That's my feeling about spyware, browser hijackers, and home start page changes. After dealing with these things I have software to detect and remove spyware and other software to stop my home start page from being changed or hijacked. The last time it happened made me put more serious measures in place. Darn software not only hijacked me but changed boot up registry settings which I had to fix. That is what I get for surfing the internet and possibly downloading what looks like a free useful program (spyware or worse).

Perhaps this legislation will set an example so that other countries will adopt the same legislation to prevent these awful measures (spyware, hijacking, etc.) and we can eventually stamp out these crimes. I vote for sending the person who didn't support this bill all the spam, spyware, and hijacked start pages that we have all received. Maybe this person is not a computer user but I would like to know what state this guy was from. I would certainly not vote for someone as illiterate or out of touch as whomever it is.

This wasn't illegal already?! Just immoral, I assume?

I think this will just lend credence to people writting even more malicious scripts...

Why must everything be painted in so many shades of gray in our legal system?! Spam is illegal, spyware is, in essence, spam!

Who cares if it's illegal now...only the worst of the worst will come under any strict penalty - it will still run rampant - I'm not getting rid of my spyware software simply b/c the people who call the shots in this country finally had a lesson in computers and got tired of it themselves...

On a similar note, whatever happened to the "Do Not Call List"?! Pffffft!

It's about time! Spyware just reeks. 399 to 1? I wonder who the I love spyware congressman is?

doctorduh

I think I just saw my computer smile ^_^. Can it be my trust in the government as an effective legislative body is coming back? We shall see...