098/05
1 September 2005

Taking care of spyware—protecting consumers on the Net

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, today launched Taking care of spyware, a guide to help Australians protect themselves against spyware on the Internet.

The Minister also released submissions received in response to a recent Government review on spyware.

“The Government takes the issue of spyware very seriously. We have held both a legislative review and broader review to look at what more Government and industry can do to protect consumers from the increasingly sophisticated tools used to defraud Internet users,” Senator Coonan said.

“The feedback we received from members of the public and industry stakeholders highlighted a need for the public to be aware of the threat of spyware. The Taking care of spyware brochure tells consumers how they can identify spyware on their computers and remove it, or protect their computers against it.

“The Internet Industry Association’s national anti-spyware campaign will complement the brochure and provide a valuable resource for members of the general public who use the Internet, giving detailed information on spyware and links to anti-spyware tools available free or for a trial period.”

Senator Coonan thanked industry and the general public for their wide-ranging and valuable input during the recent consultation on the issue of spyware.

“The consultation was designed to develop a common understanding of spyware, identify the areas of greatest concern and explore the potential areas for a Government and industry response,” Senator Coonan said.

“The feedback largely supported the outcomes of the legislative review, released earlier this year, which found that the malicious uses of spyware are already covered by existing laws.”

The Government will now follow up on courses of action identified in the consultation process.

“This will include things like working with e-security companies and law enforcement agencies to target spyware,” Senator Coonan said.

“The Government will also continue to work with the Internet industry to ensure that consumers know what is installed on their computers and what information they are making available online to others.”

Taking care of spyware and the discussion paper submissions are available at www.dcita.gov.au/spyware or by emailing spyware@dcita.gov.au.

The Internet Industry Association’s national anti-spyware campaign can be found at www.nospyware.net.au.