See other Science/Tech Articles
Title: FTC official: Let's imprison spyware distributors
Source:
c/net news.com
URL Source: http://news.com.com/2061-10789_3-61 ... rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-5&subj=news
Published: Apr 10, 2007
Author: Some guy
Post Date: 2007-04-10 20:38:08 by Indrid Cold
Keywords: None
Views: 217
Comments: 9
WASHINGTON--Steep fines are nice, but one of the best weapons against spyware purveyors is locking them up, a federal regulator told senators on Tuesday. At a morning Senate Commerce Committee hearing here, Federal Trade Commissioner William Kovacic said most wrongdoers in the spyware arena "can only be described as vicious organized criminals." "Many of most serious wrongdoers we observed in this area, I believe, are only going to be deterred if their freedom is withdrawn," so it's important for the FTC to collaborate on its cases with criminal law enforcement authorities, Kovacic said. Kovacic's remarks came in response to a question from Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who was presiding over Tuesday morning's hearing, about whether the FTC is sufficiently equipped to combat the scourge of software planted surreptitiously on a user's computer. "It's a real source of frustration for my constituents, my family, my office...basically anyone who has a computer," Pryor said. Congress has been trying for years to pass legislation aimed at curbing spyware and adware, but most of that activity so far has occurred in the House of Representatives, as opposed to the Senate. FTC Commissioner Jon Leibowitz repeated his agency's call for Congress to elevate what it perceives as limited fining powers--not just in spyware cases, but in other situations within the FTC's enforcement range, such as when a person is caught using false pretenses, or pretexting, to obtain telephone records. The purpose of Tuesday's hearing--which lasted about 90 minutes and featured appearances from only four senators on the 22-member committee--was to allow the FTC commissioners to update the Senate on their progress and to request $240 million for next year's budget--an increase of $17 million from last year. The event marked the first appearance by all five FTC commissioners before the panel since an identity theft hearing in June 2005.
Poster Comment: But where will I get my Vi@gr@?
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: Indrid Cold (#0)
The story you've just read is true. The IP addresses were changed to protect the innocent.
Prison seems reasonable. Something called Ultimate Defender/Cleaner/Fixer has grabbed my computer and rendered all desktop icons inoperable. Add/Remove deleted the program but the pop-up remains, and the icons still are useless. Forget prison time, think capital punishment...
Download Ad-Aware from http://Download.com and try it. It's what I use, and it's deleted all the spyware that makes it way onto my 'puter.
"Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be brave. Therefore do not take lightly the perils of war." -- Thucydides
I equate screwing with my personal computer to home invasion...shoot the perps.
I use it too; good product.
The "Department of Defense" has never won a war. The "War Department" was undefeated.
You may want to go into c/program files and try to find the folder for it, then delete that. Otherwise do a Google search for "Ultimate Defender/Cleaner/Fixer", as others have doubtless had the problem.
The "Department of Defense" has never won a war. The "War Department" was undefeated.
You think I have any problem with that? And, to all you nice folks, thanks for the suggestions ! Here I go; come get me if you hear some terrifying screams....
They'll never do anything, they need that avenue to plant child porn on the computers of their political enemies.
"The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes nor between parties either — but right through the human heart." — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Spyware is installed sereptitiously even by main stream vendors as part of their normal installation. Next time you install a product such as SUN JAVA [can't get much more mainline than that], click on CUSTOM INSTALL and notice the "Google toolbar and autosearch function" you almost installed with the main program, along with Google's tracking crap. I say place Google's chairman in the freeking JAIL! "There is no 'legitimate' Corporation by virtue of it's very legal definition and purpose." Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
I've already said too much.
#2. To: Indrid Cold (#0)
#3. To: Bub (#2)
Something called Ultimate Defender/Cleaner/Fixer has grabbed my computer and rendered all desktop icons inoperable.
#4. To: Bub (#2)
Forget prison time, think capital punishment...
Remember...G-d saved more animals than people on the ark. www.siameserescue.org
#5. To: YertleTurtle (#3)
Download Ad-Aware
#6. To: Bub (#2)
Add/Remove deleted the program but the pop-up remains, and the icons still are useless.
#7. To: who knows what evil (#4)
...shoot the perps.
#8. To: Indrid Cold (#0)
is sufficiently equipped to combat the scourge of software planted surreptitiously on a user's computer.
#9. To: who knows what evil, tommythemadartist, redpanther (#4)
(Edited)
My tag line
-- INDIETX
In a CorporoFascist capitalist society, there is no money in peace, freedom, or a healthy population, and therefore, no incentive to achieve these.
- - IndieTX
"Peace? There's no money in peace! What we need is a war!"
--Three Stooges
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest