Microsoft helped write Oklahoma computer law

THE GOOD people of Oklahoma asked Microsoft to help the State write a new law banning spyware, and the results are amazing.

Apparently the state was so impressed with Vole's work on the law it plans to bring it before its government for debate under the fairly harmless title "Computer Spyware Protection Act House" Bill 2083.

The law is amazing, not only because it is probably the first written overtly by a major company without bothering with the tedious problem of lobbying, but because… well it is written by Microsoft, what do you think could go wrong?

Under the law, people could be fined a million dollars for using viruses or surreptitious computer techniques to break into someone's computer without that person's knowledge and acceptance. OK so far.

Now because Microsoft knows that it sometimes need to get information from their users for upgrades, it has put in a clause to allow software companies to do this. Basically the Vole law demands that a software company licence agreement tells you the sort of data they are taking.

The problem is that if you agree, you give the company you bought upgradable software the freedom to come onto your computer for "detection or prevention of the unauthorized use of or fraudulent or other illegal activities in connection with a network, service, or computer software, including scanning for and removing computer software prescribed under this act."

In other words if you install Vista, Microsoft can come in, snoop around your computer see if you are doing anything illegal and delete it.

Vole can also read your email. More here. µ