A bill to take the "spy" out of spyware got a public hearing before a Congressional subcommittee Wednesday. The legislation filed by Rep. Mary Bono (R-California) would require spyware purveyors to inform computer users of the presence, nature and function of . . . . A bill to take the "spy" out of spyware got a public hearing before a Congressional subcommittee Wednesday. The legislation filed by Rep. Mary Bono (R-California) would require spyware purveyors to inform computer users of the presence, nature and function of their applications, as well as seek permission from users before downloading intrusive goods to their computers. "Unfortunately, consumers regularly and unknowingly download software programs that have the ability to track their every move," Bono told members of the House Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "You're starting to see some very sophisticated capabilities built into these things," he told TechNewsWorld. "Some spyware will sit there and monitor what you're doing at your computer or steal sensitive information about you or your customers." Until now, spyware has been seen as primarily a consumer problem, but Clearswift issued a white paper on the eve of the Congressional hearing suggesting the malware will create serious trouble for businesses, too. "[Programs that] have been marketed and sold as corporate security devices and parental control software for kids are finding their way into the hands of hackers and criminals [who aim to] remotely [take] control of a victim's PC to facilitate industrial espionage," Clearswift Threatlab manager Pete Simpson said in a statement. The link for this article located at TechNewsWorld is no longer available. . A new legislative proposal seeks to control surveillance software by mandating that users provide consent and receive clear information prior to any installation.. Spyware Regulation, Consumer Protection, Data Privacy, Legislative Action. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
A pair of unusual political allies, a left-wing Democrat and a conservative religious group, teamed up on Thursday in Washington's latest bid to rid the Internet of spam. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York joined with the Christian Coalition to . . . . A pair of unusual political allies, a left-wing Democrat and a conservative religious group, teamed up on Thursday in Washington's latest bid to rid the Internet of spam. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York joined with the Christian Coalition to announce support for a new bill that would create a national "Do Not Spam" registry of e-mail addresses and, unlike other federal proposals to date, give individuals the right to sue spammers for $1,000 per unlawful message. . A collaborative initiative aimed at creating a federal 'No Junk Mail' database that enables citizens to take legal action against unsolicited advertisers for a penalty of $1,000.. Spam Legislation, Email Privacy, Internet Reform, Suing Spammers, Legislative Action. . Anthony Pell
The European Parliament Wednesday adopted a report that says the global electronic-surveillance network known as "Echelon" does exist. Some 367 members of the European Parliament voted to support the report, which was several years in the making, while 159 voted against and 34 members abstained at the Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, France.. . .. The European Parliament Wednesday adopted a report that says the global electronic-surveillance network known as "Echelon" does exist. Some 367 members of the European Parliament voted to support the report, which was several years in the making, while 159 voted against and 34 members abstained at the Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, France. "This is a big step forward," said Ole Schmidt, a Swedish member of the European Parliament. "This is a damned important exercise in democracy. Now that a political body has revealed the existence of Echelon, we can put an end to the years of rumors upon the subject." The report, published earlier this year, failed to produce hard evidence that the U.S. is using the global telecommunication-tapping network to conduct industrial espionage. "It is frequently maintained that Echelon has been used in this way, but no such case has been substantiated," the report says. The link for this article located at CNN is no longer available. . The European Parliament Wednesday adopted a report that says the global electronic-surveillance netw. european, parliament, wednesday, adopted, report, global, electronic-surveillance. . LinuxSecurity.com Team
Although Congress should do everything in its power to prevent federal agencies from abusing citizens' privacy rights, lawmakers must also take steps to protect citizens from private-sector abuses, a top privacy advocate contends. In a letter to House Majority Leader Dick . . . . Although Congress should do everything in its power to prevent federal agencies from abusing citizens' privacy rights, lawmakers must also take steps to protect citizens from private-sector abuses, a top privacy advocate contends. In a letter to House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) Executive Director Marc Rotenberg urges the influential lawmaker to take a broad view of the privacy debate. "It is not just with respect to government that our country has established rights of privacy in law; we have done so also with respect to actions among private individuals, the practices of business, the use of new technology, and the collection and use of personal information for commercial purposes," Rotenberg wrote. The link for this article located at ComputerUser is no longer available. . Legislators must safeguard personal privacy from infringement by governmental bodies and commercial enterprises, ensuring individuals are defended in today's technological landscape.. Government Privacy, Consumer Rights, Data Protection, Privacy Advocacy. . Anthony Pell
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