The SPY ACT: An update

After reading through the SPY ACT bill my opinion, stated in my last post, remains the same. It isn't an extremely long document to read but it is very boring. Basically the main premise is preventing software from being installed on your system and snitching your "personal information" without you consenting for it to do so. It seems that the spyware is supposed to ask you to agree to its terms. As it is I don't think a great many folks read all, or any, of most of the agreements you must resign yourself to when installing software. So that safeguard isn't likely to do much practical good. The big points I gathered from the bill are these: You shall not install software without the users consent. And, You shall not access their "personal data".

Once again a little "I Agree" check box under a long, deceitful agreement is very easy to click without thinking and most non-techy users will do just that. That done, the user has taken the blame for the junky software. So hopefully the the smart dudes who develop cool, sometimes free, software will turn out some tools and apps to beat the spyware. Then we can rely on technology rather than legislation.