House Debates Internet Spyware (I-SPY) Prevention Act of 2007

May 22, 2007

MarketWatch covered the bill earlier this month when it was approved by the Judiciary Committee:

Ruth Mantell, MarketWatch - May 2, 2007

Consumers may get federal protection from computer criminals who steal their personal information as Congress seeks to safeguard the growing Internet commerce market.
On Wednesday, members of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary approved by voice vote to favorably report the "Internet Spyware Prevention Act of 2007" -- without any amendments -- to the House floor, pushing it one step closer to becoming law. A day before, the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security approved the bill.
"Spyware is a serious and growing problem for American consumers and businesses. Thieves are using spyware to harvest personal information such as Social Security numbers and credit-card numbers for use in a variety of criminal enterprises," said U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., at the subcommittee hearing.
Spyware is a program placed in a computer through the Internet used to gather information about the computer's user -- without the user's knowledge. In 2006, consumers spent $2.6 billion trying to block or remove spyware from their computers, according to testimony at the hearing.
The act would impose a prison sentence of up to 5 years for using spyware in committing another federal crime, and up to a 2-year sentence for hacking into a computer and altering its security settings or obtaining personal information with the intent to defraud or injure the person or damage a computer.

Read the text of the bill >>

Rep. Lofgren (CA-16):

"Spyware is becoming one of the biggest threats to consumers on the internet. Thieves using spyware and keyloggers are harvesting personal information from unsuspecting Americans. It also affects the business community who is forced to spend money to block and remove it from their systems. Experts estimate as many as 80% to 90% of all personal computers are infected with spyware. In short, it is a very real problem that is endangering consumers, damaging business, and creating millions of dollars of additional costs."