[Haiko de Poel, Jr.]

quote:

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California Rep. Mary Bono again introduced into Congress on Tuesday a bill that potentially hinders installing cookies on consumers' computers. The bill, H.R. 29--known as the "Spy Act"--requires that Web companies obtain consumers' consent before placing software on their computers. Last year, the same legislation passed in the House by a 399-1 vote, but was not voted on by the Senate.

The proposed law contains exceptions for cookies--but only if they "act like cookies are supposed to act," said a spokeswoman for Bono. Importantly, the exemption applies to cookies installed by an Internet service provider, "interactive computer service," or Web site, and only applies if the information collected isn't shared with anyone other than the provider, service, or site. (The exception also applies to programs that store user information that's required to access sites.)

Bono's spokeswoman said the cookie exemption is designed to apply to Web companies such as Amazon, which uses cookies to recognize consumers and make recommendations.

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Source

[HardwareGeek]

If I am not mistaken she always tries to get this in and congress votes for it just to get her to shut up but the senate never does anything. Her bill last year was flawed big time. Maybe this new one won't be as flawed and will work better and senate will vote for it.

[Kellie aka Ms. B]

I'm going to have to look up the exact proposed bill to take a good look at it, but from that report it would seem that affiliate tracking cookies would fall into those cookies NOT allowed. So at the moment, this is legislation that I would be strongly opposed to.

This has been a long concern for me regarding legislation towards spyware. With government agencies turning to anti-spyware companies to assist them on the 'spyware' issue and those same companies consistently labeling affiliate cookies as spyware. Although I would hope there is lobbying and education going on behind the scenes within the Affiliate Marketing Industry to protect tracking, I've seen very little visible evidence of such. Although I think its only a matter of when not if something legislation comes down that impacts current affiliate tracking with the continued growth of concern by consumers regarding privacy issues on the Internet and tracking cookies being lumped en masse with the true threats. Not to mention all the bad players in the Industry (guility by association syndrome).

[Trust]

She's a nut.

[Pete]

And here's me thinking this was going to be a U2 thread

[raywood]

quote:

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Maybe this new one won't be as flawed and will work better and senate will vote for it.

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The lawmakers don't have a clue. I don't think they can tell a good bill from a bad one. They seem to just glom onto the term "spyware" and talk about it being bad. They never seem to address the problem of thiefware. I don't think they know the difference.

[bedelman]

I've read the bill. I don't see how it could be taken to prohibit cookies (contrary to Kellie's post above).

However, it's also a bill that Gator et al could pretty readily comply with, without changing much of their practices. And the bill gives enforcement rights only to government lawyers, not to private parties. All in all, it's hard to think the bill will make things better.

My initial analysis of the bill: http://www.benedelman.org/news/100904-1.html