Bill 2038 Computer Spyware Protection Act

[Bobdrakke]

MS have helped Oklahoma with a way to deal with nasties of viruses, phissing, spyware, maleware and its variants.

 

(My bad the link is from Slyck Scratch

http://www.okgazette.com/news/templates/co...p?articleid=423

writer is Ben Fenwick)

 

The bad news is the lack of privacy while doing this.

 

its intention is this

 

Good

"It’s supposed to protect you from predators spying on your computer habits, but a bill Microsoft Corp. helped write for Oklahoma will open your personal information to warrantless searches, according to a computer privacy expert and a state representative.

 

Called the “Computer Spyware Protection Act,” House Bill 2083 would create fines of up to a million dollars for anyone using viruses or surreptitious computer techniques to break on to someone’s computer without that person’s knowledge and acceptance, according to the bill’s state Senate author, Clark Jolley."

 

Bad

" “The bill has a clear prohibition on anything going in without your permission. You have to grant permission,” said Jolley, R-Edmond. “You can look at your license agreement. It will say whether they have the ability to take that information or not.”

 

But therein lies the catch.

 

If you click that “accept” button on the routine user’s agreement, the proposed law would allow any company from whom you bought upgradable software the freedom to come onto your computer for “detection or prevention of the unauthorized use of or fraudulent or other illegal activities in connection with a network, service, or computer software, including scanning for and removing computer software prescribed under this act.” "

 

Ugly

" That means that Microsoft (or another company with such software) can erase spyware or viruses. But if you have, say, a pirated copy of Excel — Microsoft (or companies with similar software) can erase it, or anything else they want to erase, and not be held liable for it. Additionally, that phrase “fraudulent or other illegal activities” means they can:

 

—Let the local district attorney know that you wrote a hot check last month.

 

—Let the attorney general know that you play online poker.

 

—Let the tax commission know you bought cartons of cigarettes and didn’t pay the state tax on them.

 

—Read anything on your hard drive, such as your name, home address, personal identification code, passwords, Social Security number … etc., etc., etc.

 

“I think in broad terms that is still a form of spying,” said Marc Rotenberg, attorney and executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C. “Some people say, ‘Well, it’s justified.’ I’m not so clear that should be the case. Particularly if the reason you are passing legislation is to cover that activity.” "

 

Jury is still out

The bill is scheduled to go back before the House for another vote. Will the Oklahoma House, on behalf of all computer users in the state of Oklahoma, click “accept”?

 

Well if Oklaohma accepts will any of the other states? with DRM/CRAP and TCPA doing the rounds this could be the final blow if this goes through beyond Oklahoma to all the other states. But that is a big if.

Edited April 14, 2006 by Bobdrakke

[Wizard]

Move to Canada?

[Agozer]

Move to Canada?

Move to Canada. Simple.

[Weirdy]

You know why this I think this shiit happend? It was almost a month ago when some city official from a town over there found all computers in their local computer lab had CentOS installed + Apache. All computers had the same thing on them saying that the host could not be found, so the official (named Jerry Taylor) thought it was spyware, called the one of the programmers of CentOS, and told him to remove it.

 

Long story short, Taylor tells him: he's got 22 experience or so with computers and has never heard of CentOS, is not afraid of media attention, and he'd call the FBI on the programmer. Since then, I believe he's been a big laughing stock so he's really got sand in his censor now. I think this law made is meant to make him (and people like him) feel a bit more at ease.

Edited April 14, 2006 by Weirdy

[Robert]

Is it bill number 2038 (in the title) or 2083 (in the text) ?

 

Sounds like yet another invasion of privacy, another example of big brother (government and corporations) wanting to control us.

 

Flock them.

[Lucandrake]

You know what, a big Fu3k you government.

 

One day, I'm going to become president, and make things right.

[Dooz]

I love how the government hates the people it controls.

[someboddy]

So, M$ will legally put spywere inside your PC...

 

I wouldn't worry about it. It will probably crash.

 

"Microsoft Spywere is not responding"

 

I wonder if you need an originality check to upgrade your spywere...