Ed Foster: The Can-Spy Act?

Oh, oh. In case you haven't noticed, there's a very familiar pattern to current legislative activity regarding anti-spyware laws. It's very reminiscent of where Congress was last year at this time on anti-spam legislation, and that ultimately led to the disastrous Can Spam Act. Are we soon to see the enactment of the "Yes, You Can Spy Act" as well?

The parallels with the situation that created the Can Spam Act are downright scary. Just as there was an all too justifiable hue-and-cry last year about spam, the politicians are now keenly feeling the need to do something about the spyware plague. The states are passing strong laws that might actually be effective, a trend that marketing and technology lobbyists are telling Congress is a bad, bad thing that requires pre-emption by federal law. And while everyone agrees that the things the worst offenders are doing are already highly illegal, for some reason our national lawmakers think the answer is to concentrate enforcement powers in an already overwhelmed Federal Trade Commission.

here.

[Ed Foster's Radio Weblog]

OK, ok. I'm not really in favor of the death penalty for writing spyware.