[Vick]

http://www.avnonline.com/index.php?Primary...ntent_ID=106758

WASHINGTON - By a near-unanimous vote, a bill to make software makers tell you before loading information-collecting programs or "spyware" onto your machine passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee June 23.

The bill, by Reps. Mary Bono (R-California) and Edolphus Towns (D-New York), would let the Federal Trade Commission go after millions in fines for some of the more notorious spyware-related practices, such as keystroke loggers and identity theft. The bill would also mandate easy removal of spyware, which now often requires the help of an anti-spyware program (like Spybot Search and Destroy) or antivirus/security suites (like Norton SystemWorks) to remove.