U.S. Rep. Mary Bono (R-Calif.) this week reintroduced her bill to combat spyware as the 109th Congress convened.
Her bill, called the Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass (Spy Act), was passed by the House of Representatives in October, but failed to win Senate approval before the end of the 108th Congress.
The bill would require that consumers receive clear notice prior to downloading spyware and would prohibit deceptive activities such as keystroke logging or the display of ads that cannot be closed.
"The Spy Act was introduced because we feel that consumers have the right to know and be protected when they are downloading software that has the ability to collect and transmit personal information," Bono said in a statement.
She said the bill has evolved through bipartisan support since she first introduced it in July 2003, and is confident a spyware bill will be signed into law this year.
