Anti-Spyware Legislation Proposed Spyware Control Act Byron Alley
A new US law has been proposed to regulate spyware, or software that secretly sends information about the user back to the manufacturer when it is run. Increasingly, software made available for free often includes such "spy" functionality, constituting a privacy concern for many users. Until now, most users of such programs were not aware of the spyware nature of the products.
The new Spyware Control Act was introduced by US Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C. The act would require software manufacturers to inform users if their products contain spyware. The bill would also provide rights for lawsuits against software makers for violating their own privacy policies.
