Bill Text: PA SB123 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Providing for the protection of consumers from having spyware deceptively installed on their computers and for criminal and civil enforcement.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2010-10-27 - Act No. 86 [SB123 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SB123-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 96
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 123 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY GORDNER, WOZNIAK, ERICKSON, LEACH, ALLOWAY, BOSCOLA, CORMAN, COSTA, EARLL, FERLO, KASUNIC, KITCHEN, LOGAN, O'PAKE, ORIE, RAFFERTY, SMUCKER, STOUT, TARTAGLIONE, VANCE, WAUGH, D. WHITE, WILLIAMS AND STACK, JANUARY 30, 2009
REFERRED TO COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY, JANUARY 30, 2009
AN ACT
Providing for the protection of consumers from having spyware
deceptively installed on their computers and for criminal and
civil enforcement.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1. Short title.
Section 2. Definitions.
Section 3. Computer spyware prohibitions.
Section 4. Control or modification.
Section 5. Misrepresentation and deception.
Section 6. Nonapplicability.
Section 7. Criminal enforcement.
Section 8. Penalty.
Section 9. Civil relief.
Section 19. Construction.
Section 20. Effective date.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Consumer
Protection Against Computer Spyware Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Authorized user." With respect to a computer, a person who
owns or is authorized by the owner or lessee to use the
computer.
"Cause to be copied." To distribute, transfer or procure the
copying of computer software or any component thereof. The term
shall not include the following:
(1) Transmission, routing, provision of intermediate
temporary storage or caching of software.
(2) A storage or hosting medium, such as a compact disc,
Internet website or computer server, through which the
software was distributed by a third party.
(3) An information location tool, such as a directory,
index, reference, pointer or hypertext link, through which
the user of the computer located the software.
"Communications provider." Entity providing communications
networks or services that enable consumers to access the
Internet or destinations on the public switched telephone
network via a computer modem. This term shall include cable
service providers that also provide telephone services and
providers of Voice over Internet Protocol services.
"Computer software." A sequence of instructions written in
any programming language that is executed on a computer. The
term shall not include a text or data file, an Internet website
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or a data component of an Internet website that is not
executable independently of the Internet website.
"Computer virus." A computer program or other set of
instructions that is designed to degrade the performance of or
disable a computer, computer network or computer software and is
designed to have the ability to replicate itself on other
computers or computer networks without the authorization of the
owners of those computers or computer networks.
"Damage." Any material impairment to the integrity,
functionality or availability of data, software, a computer, a
system or information.
"Deceptive" or "deception." Includes, but is not limited to:
(1) An intentionally and materially false or fraudulent
statement.
(2) A statement or description that intentionally omits
or misrepresents material information in order to deceive the
authorized user.
(3) An intentional and material failure to provide any
notice to an authorized user regarding the download or
installation of software in order to deceive the authorized
user.
"Execute." With respect to computer software, the
performance of the functions or the carrying out of the
instructions of the computer software.
"Internet." The global information system that is logically
linked together by a globally unique address space based on the
Internet Protocol (IP), or its subsequent extensions, and that
is able to support communications using the Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite, or its subsequent
extensions, or other IP-compatible protocols, and that provides,
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uses or makes accessible, either publicly or privately, high-
level services layered on the communications and related
infrastructure described in this act.
"Message." A graphical or text communication presented to an
authorized user of a computer other than communications
originated and sent by the computer's operating system or
communications presented for any of the purposes described in
section 6.
"Person." Any individual, partnership, corporation, limited
liability company or other organization, or any combination
thereof.
"Personally identifiable information." The term shall
include any of the following:
(1) First name or first initial in combination with last
name.
(2) Credit or debit card numbers or other financial
account numbers.
(3) A password or personal identification number
required to access an identified financial account other than
a password, personal identification number or other
identification number transmitted by an authorized user to
the issuer of the account or its agent.
(4) Social Security number.
(5) Any of the following information in a form that
personally identifies an authorized user:
(i) Account balances.
(ii) Overdraft history.
(iii) Payment history.
(iv) A history of Internet websites visited.
(v) Home address.
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(vi) Work address.
(vii) A record of a purchase or purchases.
"Procure the copying." To pay, provide other consideration
to or induce another person to cause software to be copied onto
a computer.
Section 3. Computer spyware prohibitions.
A person or entity that is not an authorized user shall not,
with actual knowledge with conscious avoidance of actual
knowledge or willfully, cause computer software to be copied or
procure the copying onto the computer of an authorized user in
this Commonwealth and use the software to do any of the
following acts or any other acts deemed to be deceptive:
(1) Modify through deceptive means any of the following
settings related to the computer's access to or use of the
Internet:
(i) The page that appears when an authorized user
launches an Internet browser or similar software program
used to access and navigate the Internet.
(ii) The default provider or Internet website proxy
the authorized user uses to access or search the
Internet.
(iii) The authorized user's list of bookmarks used
to access Internet website pages.
(2) Collect through deceptive means personally
identifiable information that meets any of the following
criteria:
(i) It is collected through the use of a keystroke-
logging function that records all keystrokes made by an
authorized user who uses the computer and transfers that
information from the computer to another person.
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(ii) It includes all or substantially all of the
Internet websites visited by an authorized user, other
than Internet websites of the provider of the software,
if the computer software was installed in a manner
designed to conceal from all authorized users of the
computer the fact that the software is being installed.
(iii) It is a data element described in paragraph
(2), (3), (4) or (5)(i) or (ii) of the definition of
"personally identifiable information" that is extracted
from the authorized user's computer hard drive for a
purpose wholly unrelated to any of the purposes of the
software or service described to an authorized user.
(3) Prevent, without the authorization of an authorized
user, through deceptive means an authorized user's reasonable
efforts to block the installation of or to disable software
by causing software that the authorized user has properly
removed or disabled to automatically reinstall or reactivate
on the computer without the authorization of an authorized
user.
(4) Misrepresent that software will be uninstalled or
disabled by an authorized user's action with knowledge that
the software will not be so uninstalled or disabled.
(5) Through deceptive means, remove, disable or render
inoperative security, antispyware or antivirus software
installed on the computer.
Section 4. Control or modification.
A person or entity that is not an authorized user shall not,
with actual knowledge, with conscious avoidance of actual
knowledge or willfully, cause computer software to be copied or
procure the copying onto the computer of an authorized user in
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this Commonwealth and use the software to do any of the
following acts or any other acts deemed to be deceptive:
(1) Take control of the authorized user's computer by
doing any of the following:
(i) Transmitting or relaying commercial electronic
mail or a computer virus from the authorized user's
computer, where the transmission or relaying is initiated
by a person other than the authorized user and without
the authorization of an authorized user.
(ii) Accessing or using the authorized user's modem
or Internet service for the purpose of causing damage to
the authorized user's computer or of causing an
authorized user to incur financial charges for a service
that is not authorized by an authorized user.
(iii) Using the authorized user's computer as part
of an activity performed by a group of computers for the
purpose of causing damage to another computer, including,
but not limited to, launching a denial of service attack.
(iv) Opening a series of stand-alone messages in the
authorized user's computer without the authorization of
an authorized user and with knowledge that a reasonable
computer user cannot close the advertisements without
turning off the computer or closing the Internet
application.
(2) Modify any of the following settings related to the
computer's access to or use of the Internet:
(i) An authorized user's security or other settings
that protect information about the authorized user for
the purpose of stealing personal information of an
authorized user.
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(ii) The security settings of the computer for the
purpose of causing damage to one or more computers.
(3) Prevent, without the authorization of an authorized
user, an authorized user's reasonable efforts to block the
installation of or to disable software by doing any of the
following:
(i) Presenting the authorized user with an option to
decline installation of software with knowledge that,
when the option is selected by the authorized user, the
installation nevertheless proceeds.
(ii) Falsely representing that software has been
disabled.
(iii) Requiring, in a deceptive manner, the user to
access the Internet to remove the software with knowledge
or reckless disregard of the fact that the software
frequently operates in a manner that prevents the user
from accessing the Internet.
(iv) Changing the name, location or other
designation information of the software for the purpose
of preventing an authorized user from locating the
software to remove it.
(v) Using randomized or deceptive file names,
directory folders, formats or registry entries for the
purpose of avoiding detection and removal of the software
by an authorized user.
(vi) Causing the installation of software in a
particular computer directory or computer memory for the
purpose of evading authorized users' attempts to remove
the software from the computer.
(vii) Requiring, without the authority of the owner
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of the computer, that an authorized user obtain a special
code or download software from a third party to uninstall
the software.
Section 5. Misrepresentation and deception.
A person or entity who is not an authorized user shall not do
any of the following or any other misrepresenting and deceptive
acts with regard to the computer of an authorized user in this
Commonwealth:
(1) Induce an authorized user to install a software
component onto the computer by misrepresenting that
installing software is necessary for security or privacy
reasons or in order to open, view or play a particular type
of content.
(2) Causing the copying and execution on the computer of
a computer software component with the intent of causing an
authorized user to use the component in a way that violates
any other provision of this section.
Section 6. Nonapplicability.
(1) Nothing in section 4 or 5 shall apply to any
monitoring of or interaction with a user's Internet or other
network connection or service, or a protected computer, by a
cable operator, computer hardware or software provider or
provider of information service or interactive computer
service for network or computer security purposes,
diagnostics, technical support, repair, authorized updates of
software or system firmware, network management or
maintenance, authorized remote system management or 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
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removing software proscribed under this act.
(2) Nothing in this act shall limit the rights of
providers of wire and electronic communications under 18
U.S.C. § 2511 (relating to interception and disclosure of
wire, oral, or electronic communications prohibited).
Section 7. Criminal enforcement.
(a) District attorneys.--The district attorneys of the
several counties shall have authority to investigate and to
institute criminal proceedings for any violations of this act.
(b) Attorney General.--In addition to the authority
conferred upon the Attorney General under the act of October 15,
1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known as the Commonwealth Attorneys Act,
the Attorney General shall have the authority to investigate and
institute criminal proceedings for any violation of this act. A
person charged with a violation of this act by the Attorney
General shall not have standing to challenge the authority of
the Attorney General to investigate or prosecute the case and,
if any such challenge is made, the challenge shall be dismissed
and no relief shall be available in the courts of this
Commonwealth to the person making the challenge.
(c) Proceedings against persons outside Commonwealth.--In
addition to powers conferred upon district attorneys and the
Attorney General in subsections (a) and (b), district attorneys
and the Attorney General shall have the authority to investigate
and initiate criminal proceedings against persons for violations
of this act in accordance with 18 Pa.C.S. § 102 (relating to
territorial applicability).
Section 8. Penalty.
Any person that violates the provisions of sections 3(2) and
4(1)(i), (ii) and (iii) and (2) commits a felony of the second
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degree and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to imprisonment
for not less than one nor more than ten years or to pay a fine,
notwithstanding 18 Pa.C.S. § 1101 (relating to fines), of not
more than $25,000, or both.
Section 9. Civil relief.
(a) General rule.--The following persons may bring a civil
action against a person who violates this act:
(1) A provider of computer software who is adversely
affected by the violation.
(2) An Internet Service Provider who is adversely
affected by the violation.
(3) A trademark owner whose trademark is used without
the authorization of the owner to deceive users in the course
of any of the deceptive practices prohibited by this section.
(b) Additional remedies.--In addition to any other remedy
provided by law, a permitted person bringing an action under
this section may:
(1) Seek injunctive relief to restrain the violator from
continuing the violation.
(2) Recover damages in an amount equal to the greater
of:
(i) Actual damages arising from the violation.
(ii) Up to $100,000 for each violation, as the court
considers just.
(3) Seek both injunctive relief and recovery of damages
as provided by this subsection.
(c) Increase by court.--The court may increase an award of
actual damages in an action brought under this section to an
amount not to exceed three times the actual damages sustained if
the court finds that the violations have occurred with a
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frequency with respect to a group of victims as to constitute a
pattern or practice.
(d) Fees and costs.--A plaintiff who prevails in an action
filed under this section is entitled to recover reasonable
attorney fees and court costs.
(e) Communications provider relief.--In the case of a
violation of section 4(1)(ii) that causes a communications
provider to incur costs for the origination, transport or
termination of a call triggered using the modem of a customer of
the communications provider as a result of a violation, the
communications provider may bring a civil action against the
violator to recover any or all of the following:
(1) The charges the carrier is obligated to pay to
another carrier or to an information service provider as a
result of the violation, including, but not limited to,
charges for the origination, transport or termination of the
call.
(2) Costs of handling customer inquiries or complaints
with respect to amounts billed for calls.
(3) Costs and a reasonable attorney fee.
(4) An order to enjoin the violation.
(f) Multiple violations.--For purposes of a civil action
under this section, any single action or conduct that violates
more than one paragraph of this act shall be considered multiple
violations based on the number of such paragraphs violated.
Section 19. Construction.
The provisions of this act shall not limit the jurisdiction
and authority of the Office of Attorney General, including, but
not limited to, the jurisdiction and authority granted pursuant
to the act of October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known as the
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Commonwealth Attorneys Act, and the act of December 17, 1968
(P.L.1224, No.387), known as the Unfair Trade Practices and
Consumer Protection Law.
Section 20. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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