Can Congress get arms around spyware problem?
WASHINGTON – It can crash a computer, fill a screen with pop-up ads or allow someone to steal financial information, maybe even an identity. But most people don’t know what it is. Spyware, a catch-all phrase for software that enables a person’s online movements to be tracked, has quietly become the latest threat to cybersecurity, affecting eight out of 10 computers. Members of Congress, some of whom complain about spyware tampering with their computers, have their own ideas about how to tackle the problem. Some say they want software companies to have to seek permission from consumers before installing data-collecting programs on their computers. Others say they want to define spyware crimes and its penalties. “Consumers should have control over the programs on their machines and should not have their privacy jeopardized by invasive programs lurking on their computers,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat and sponsor of an antispyware bill. Lawmakers are responding to escalating pu
