FTC to Congress: Lose the Anti-Spyware Plans

Abstract

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has repeated its position to Congress that new antispyware legislation is unnecessary, saying that current regulations are sufficient. The FTC and Congress have routinely disagreed about the best approach to limiting spyware. The FTC contends that virtually all spyware is intended to deceive computer users, and, according to FTC Commissioner Orson Swindle, "if people are deceived, it's a deceptive practice." The House of Representatives nonetheless passed two antispyware bills this year. Although both bills are expected to die in the Senate, House leaders have promised to reintroduce them next year. The FTC this week again called on Congress to forgo new legislation, suggesting also that in its haste to write new laws, Congress sometimes approves confusing statutes that cause more harm than good. Swindle also noted that the recent case filed by the FTC against an alleged spyware operator was able to proceed without either of the bills passed in the House.