| reply to eburger68
Re: FTC Goes to Bat for Spyware Industry Hi All:
CBS Marketwatch is carrying a most interesting story by Michael Cowden about Thursday's House subcommittee hearing, with several bits of information that I haven't seen reported anywhere else.
Key quotes
said by Michael Cowden, Medill News Service:
House Republicans and Democrats lashed out at the Federal Trade Commission at a hearing Thursday for not doing enough to protect consumers from computer spyware.
They also vowed to pass anti-spyware legislation with or without FTC support.
"I don't want anybody to be under the impression that this hearing is just a hearing and nothing's going to happen," said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Tex., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "We are going to move heaven and earth to work on a bipartisan basis to modify the Bono bill . . . to pass the House and Senate this year."
And:
said by Michael Cowden, Medill News Service:
Barton was in no mood to split hairs.
"I'm not a computer expert, but I can count votes on my committee," he said. "And I would encourage the federal officials at the table to work with us on how to clarify the language to help you enforce the law instead of trying to defend something that is not defendable."
Of note is Barton's interest in revising the language of the Bono bill to make it a stronger, more viable piece of legislation. I also take heart at Barton's unwillingness to put up with obstructionist shilly-shallying from the industry or the FTC.
This is similar to the attitude of Stephen Urquhart of Utah House of Representatives, the sponsor of the Utah anti-spyware bill who appeared on Panel 6 of the FTC's Spyware Workshop April 19. Urquhart seemed a bit exasperated with the industry when he remarked that the Utah House had received absolutely NO useful input from the industry on the content of the Utah anti-spyware bill (despite the industry's publicly affected rhetoric of wanting to "work with" legislators). All the industry wanted to do was kill the bill.
I can't say that I was too surprised to hear that. We should be on the lookout for mentions of other U.S. Representatives and Senators who show interest in doing something on the spyware issue.
Best,
Eric L. Howes |
