FYI...

FTC halts computer spying
* http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2012/09/designware.shtm
09/25/2012

Rent-to-own laptops were spying on users
- http://h-online.com/-1717567
26 Sep 2012 - "The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has settled a case with several computer rent-to-own companies and a software maker over their use of a program which spied on as many as 420,000 users of the computers. The terms of the settlement* will ban the companies from using monitoring software, deceiving customers into giving up information or using geo-location to track users. "The FTC orders today will put an end to their cyber spying" said Jon Leobowitz, FTC Chairman. The software for rental companies from DesignerWare included a "Detective Mode", a spyware application that, according to the FTC's complaint, could activate the webcam of a laptop and take pictures and log keystrokes of user activity. The software also regularly presented a fake registration screen designed to trick users into entering personal information. The data from this application was then transmitted to DesignerWare where it was then passed on to the rent-to-own companies... The FTC is limited in its actions, telling Wired**, "We don't have criminal authority. We only have civil authority" and, as this was a first violation of the FTC act, it cannot impose fines on the companies. Instead, the companies will be monitored by the FTC for compliance with the ban on using the software, or, in the case of DesignerWare, licensing it, for the next 20 years..."
** http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/201...yware-scandal/