FTC Wants Civil Penalties in its Anti-Spyware Arsenal

Look out spyware perps. Today Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection Deputy Director Eileen Harrington told members of the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that stronger penalties for perpetrators of spyware might be a good idea. “Legislation authorizing the Commission to seek civil penalties in spyware cases could add a potent remedy to those otherwise available to the Commission,” said Harrington, according to an FTC statement.

The FTC’s current enforcement involves “consumer redress or making the operators give up their ill-gotten gains.” But that may not be enough to deter bad actors. Harrington said the commission supports legislation that would provide the FTC the ability to slap spyware disseminators with civil penalties.