US spyware Bill threatens imprisonment
US spyware Bill threatens imprisonment
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Oct 8th, 2004: A new Bill passed in the US this week outlaws spyware and even carries a sentence of five years imprisonment if somebody is found guilty of installing one of these programs under somebody's PC without permission.
Spyware is the name of the software used to quietly monitor activities of Internet users.
The Internet Spyware Prevention Act will give powers to the Justice Department to crack down on companies that secretly install spyware and cheat people into giving away personal details and financial information through email scams known as "phishing".
If a person is caught changing a computer's security settings or stealing somebody's personal information, such as their email address, telephone number or bank account, they could end up sentenced for two years.
Research carried out in the US has revealed that about 90 percent of computers have spyware inside their computers.
A similar Bill was drafted earlier this year in Australia by the Australian Democrats, under the name of the Spyware Control Bill.
It aims to deter potential spyware installers, but it is not know yet if sentences will be as severe as they are in the US.
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