Internet Spyware Prevention Act of 2007 Passes

The Internet Spyware (I-SPY) Prevention Act of 2007 has been passed by the House. The bill addresses activities that are conducted via spyware and makes those activities criminal offenses punishable by both imprisonment and fines.

“I am pleased that my first stand-alone bill to pass this Congress is one that both protects Americans on the internet and fosters continued technological innovation,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren. HR 1525 is a bipartisan measure that identifies the truly unscrupulous acts associated with spyware and subjects them to criminal punishment.

Recent studies estimate that 90 percent of computers in this country are infected with some form of spyware and Americans spend $2.6 billion trying to block or remove malicious software from their computers. That figure says nothing about the lost productivity that results from stolen data and hijacked browsers. At the same time, the technology behind spyware has aspects similar to the technology responsible for the intuitive, seamless interaction with the web that consumers expect and demand. In an age of personalized search pages and RSS feeds, the right approach to spyware must eliminate criminal behavior without criminalizing technology. The I-SPY Prevention Act takes that approach, giving law enforcement the tools it needs to fight spyware while permitting legitimate use of technology that enhances users' experience on the internet.