Debbie Dingell: “identity theft is fast reaching epidemic proportions. Today we will address one aspect of the problem--spyware. Spyware…”

“identity theft is fast reaching epidemic proportions. Today we will address one aspect of the problem--spyware. Spyware programs sneak into your computer, and allow a third party to harvest your personal information. It is the equivalent of putting a wiretap on your phone and listening to your conversations. Adware tracks your Web surfing or online shopping so that marketers can send you unwanted ads. Spyware can hijack your computer to pornographic or gambling sites, or steal your passwords and credit care information. The rapid proliferation of spyware and adware threatens legitimate Internet commerce. The most common consumer complaints are: hijacked home pages, redirected Web searches, a flood of pop-up ads, and sluggish and crashed computers. This bill is carefully balanced. It prohibits a number of unfair and deceptive acts or practices related to spyware, and provides for strong Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforcement and enhanced civil fines. It also recognizes that there are legitimate, applications of spyware and, thus, exempts law enforcement, national security, network security and maintenance, and fraud detection from the SPY Act. It contains narrowly prescribed exceptions for benign internal navigation tracking on Web sites, and the ordinary construction of Web pages that do not collect personal information. It preserves legitimate online commerce.…”