109 HR 744 IH: Internet Spyware (I-SPY) Prevention Act of 2005 U.S. House of Representatives 2005-02-10 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I 109th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 744 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 10, 2005 Mr. Goodlatte (for himself, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California, Mr. Smith of Texas, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Hostettler, Ms. Linda T. Sánchez of California, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Forbes, Mr. Hall, and Mr. Wolf) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title 18, United States Code, to discourage spyware, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Internet Spyware (I-SPY) Prevention Act of 2005.

2.

Penalties for certain unauthorized activities relating to computers

(a)

In general

Chapter 47 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1030 the following:

1030A.

Illicit indirect use of protected computers

(a)Whoever intentionally accesses a protected computer without authorization, or exceeds authorized access to a protected computer, by causing a computer program or code to be copied onto the protected computer, and intentionally uses that program or code in furtherance of another Federal criminal offense shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both. (b)Whoever intentionally accesses a protected computer without authorization, or exceeds authorized access to a protected computer, by causing a computer program or code to be copied onto the protected computer, and by means of that program or code— (1)intentionally obtains, or transmits to another, personal information with the intent to defraud or injure a person or cause damage to a protected computer; or (2)intentionally impairs the security protection of the protected computer;shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both. (c)No person may bring a civil action under the law of any State if such action is premised in whole or in part upon the defendant’s violating this section. For the purposes of this subsection, the term State includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and any other territory or possession of the United States. (d)As used in this section— (1)the terms protected computer and exceeds authorized access have, respectively, the meanings given those terms in section 1030; and (2)the term personal information means— (A)a first and last name; (B)a home or other physical address, including street name; (C)an electronic mail address; (D)a telephone number; (E)a Social Security number, tax identification number, drivers license number, passport number, or any other government-issued identification number; or (F)a credit card or bank account number or any password or access code associated with a credit card or bank account. (e)This section does not prohibit any lawfully authorized investigative, protective, or intelligence activity of a law enforcement agency of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State, or of an intelligence agency of the United States.

. (b)

Conforming Amendment

The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 47 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1030 the following new item: 1030A. Illicit indirect use of protected computers.

3.

Authorization of appropriations

In addition to any other sums otherwise authorized to be appropriated for this purpose, there are authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009, the sum of $10,000,000 to the Attorney General for prosecutions needed to discourage the use of spyware and the practice commonly called phishing.

4.

Findings and sense of Congress concerning the enforcement of certain cybercrimes

(a)

Findings

Congress makes the following findings: (1)Software and electronic communications are increasingly being used by criminals to invade individuals’ and businesses’ computers without authorization. (2)Two particularly egregious types of such schemes are the use of spyware and phishing scams. (3)These schemes are often used to obtain personal information, such as bank account and credit card numbers, which can then be used as a means to commit other types of theft. (4)In addition to the devastating damage that these heinous activities can inflict on individuals and businesses, they also undermine the confidence that citizens have in using the Internet. (b)

Sense of Congress

Because of the serious nature of these offenses, and the Internet’s unique importance in the daily lives of citizens and in interstate commerce, it is the sense of Congress that the Department of Justice should use the amendments made by this Act, and all other available tools, vigorously to prosecute those who use spyware to commit crimes and those that conduct phishing scams.