SpyWare and how to deal with it

[Guest]

After reviewing many writings on the use and deployment of SpyWare for many companies, it seems to me that their deployment of the product really is not leagle.

Think about it; they load on YOUR system and send YOUR private information to others without YOUR consent.

This sounds very much like burglary. Especially since you did not consent to have the product installed or for it to steal your information.

Why is it not possible to report such crimes to the city, county, state, or federal jurisdictions responsible for investigating of burglary and having the company investigated and/or fined for their illegal acts?

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Actually, if you were to read the EULAs that accompany, and to
which the computer user must agree before the download/installation
continues, most ad-ware and spyware, you'll find that they _do_ have
the consumer's permission to do exactly what they're doing. In the
majority of cases, computer users have no one to blame but themselves.

Yes, there are many unscrupulous malware distributors out there,
who do attempt to install and exploit malware without consent, but the
majority simply rely upon the intellectual laziness of the average
consumer, counting on them to quickly click past the EULA in his/her
haste to get the latest in "free" cutesy cursors, screensavers, and/or
wallpapers.


Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. - RAH

After reviewing many writings on the use and deployment of SpyWare

for many companies, it seems to me that their deployment of the
product really is not leagle.

Think about it; they load on YOUR system and send YOUR private

information to others without YOUR consent.

This sounds very much like burglary. Especially since you did not

consent to have the product installed or for it to steal your
information.

Why is it not possible to report such crimes to the city, county,

state, or federal jurisdictions responsible for investigating of
burglary and having the company investigated and/or fined for their
illegal acts?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

The US Congress is in the process of passing a spyware law.
Won't do much good though, has something in it about what's
contained in EULAs, which most people don't read anyway.

And a lot of spyware comes from many countries besides the US.
How do you enforce US laws outside the US? You don't.
Hell, a lot of US laws aren't even enforced inside the US.

http://securityfocus.com/news/8941

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,114999,00.asp

 

[GTS]

Unfortunately, the legality of spyware is ambiguous. Several parties are
trying to establish legal precedents bringing lawsuits on the basis of
property rights and illegal use thereof, and other general points of law,
since there are no statutes federally or in most states explicitly
addressing spyware. Congress is contemplating legislation on this, but the
outlook is not all that good. The problem is similar to what happened with
the "Can Spam" act. There are many business interests that lobby and pay
off Congress to block well defined enforceable legislation in these areas.
They want to block the kind of spam or spyware from which they don't profit
directly while leaving the door open for their own exploits.
--

After reviewing many writings on the use and deployment of SpyWare for

many companies, it seems to me that their deployment of the product really
is not leagle.

Think about it; they load on YOUR system and send YOUR private information

to others without YOUR consent.

This sounds very much like burglary. Especially since you did not consent

to have the product installed or for it to steal your information.

Why is it not possible to report such crimes to the city, county, state,

or federal jurisdictions responsible for investigating of burglary and
having the company investigated and/or fined for their illegal acts?