California sets fines for spyware
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The makers of programs that spy on what people do with their home PCs could face hefty fines in California.
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WASHINGTON - Spyware legislation that would allow fines of up to $3 million for makers of software that steals personal information from a user's computer or highjacks its browser will get a second look after the U.S. Congress failed to pass the legislation in 2004.
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In ordering a New Hampshire man to stop sending spyware that takes over parts of a user&#39;s computer, a federal judge has sent a warning shot at spammers in the United States.
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California will drop charges against spy--because he faces federal court sanctions.
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The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday filed the first case in the country against software companies accused of infecting computers with intrusive &quot;spyware
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California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an anti-spyware bill on Tuesday banning unauthorized installation of deceptive software that hides in personal computers and secretly monitors user activity.
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Millions of PCs infected Telecoms watchdog OPTA has fined three Dutch firms and their two directors a total of â¬1m for the illegal distribution of spyware.â¦
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Spyware problems continue to rise. Congress is stepping up to the plate--but will its efforts be more effective than CAN-SPAM?
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Microsoft last week warned Windows XP users to scour their systems for spyware before downloading Service Pack 2. An Associated Press report quoted Microsoft executives saying some spyware could cause computers to freeze upon installation.
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(InfoWorld) - Washington's attorney general has settled the first case prosecuted under the state's 2005 Computer Spyware Act. The settlement announced Monday is with antispyware vendor Secure Computer. The White Plains, New York, software company wasÂ accused of marketing its product via deceptive spam and pop-up ads, which offered free spyware scans that always detected a problem with the computer that was scanned. The company and its president, Paul Burke, will pay $725,000 in legal fees and $200,000 in penalties, and will reimburse Washington state customers $75,000, said Paula Selis, senior council with the attorney general's office. "Given the scope of the defendants' practices and the amount of consumer harm out there, we feel this is a very fair settlement." More than 1,100 state residents purchased the company's Spyware Cleaner software since it went on the market in 2004, Selis said. Those customers will now be e-mailed by Secure Computer and offered a refund for the $49.95 product, under terms of the settlement. Secure Computer, which admits no wrongdoing in the matter, is also prohibited fromÂ using deceptive marketing techniquesÂ to promote its software, and the company must now review the advertising of its marketing affiliates to make sure they comply with the settlement. That seems like an unlikely possibility, however, because Spyware Cleaner was pulled from the market shortly after the lawsuits were filed in late January, and Secure ComputerÂ is now out of business,Â according to the company's Web site. Representatives from Secure Computer could not be reached for comment. Burke, who was Secure Computer's president, has formed a new company called Safe App Software, which is now selling a registry cleaner product, Selis said. That product is not being sold in the U.S. she added. Secure Computer and four of its business partners were sued by Microsoft and the Washington attorney general in January, but charges against three of the men have already been settled. A fourth man, Manoj Kumar of Maharashtra, India, could not be located, the attorney general's office said. Burke and Secure Computer settled the Microsoft lawsuit about two months ago, said Spencer Freeman, an attorney with Freeman Law Firm Inc. who represented the defendants in the case. Freeman declined to comment on Monday's settlement.ADVERTISEMENTNEW IT SERVICES FROM IBM: EASIER TO BUY AND IMPLEMENTDiscover a simpler, more cost-effective way to get the solutions your company needs to grow more flexible and efficient.
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Homes computers, lacking firewalls and up-to-date virus protection, are crawling with spyware.
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Windows users could soon be paying for Microsoft software that keeps their machine free of spyware.
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BERKELEY, Calif.) - The personal information of more than a (m) million Californians may have fallen into the hands of a computer hacker.
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California's pioneering law aimed at cracking down on spyware -- signed this week to curb the software that hides on computers and secretly follows users around the Web -- is only a partial step toward protecting consumers, critics said on Friday.
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The US Federal Trade Commission last week filed a legal complaint against two companies that allegedly infected computers with spyware and pop-up advertising, then tried to sell their owners spyware-blocking software.
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Can't pay, will only pay $50K Two alleged spyware operations have settled lawsuits brought by the US Federal Trade Commission.â¦
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There's a reason why so many PCs are infected with spyware and adware: Users seem to have stopped caring about having online privacy. Many are saying spyware is a small price to pay for free applications. By Michelle Delio.