Legislative Findings and Intent

I Liheslaturan Guåhan finds that spyware is a problem that adversely affects nearly every computer connected to the internet. Spyware is a catch-all term for computer programs that can track computer users’ movements online. There are hundreds of programs that range from innocuous “ad-ware,” which generates pop-up advertisements, to more dangerous programs that can record a user’s keystrokes to gather personal information, such as credit card numbers and passwords, without their knowledge, and forward this information to another entity without the consumer’s consent. Spyware is a serious problem that can create substantial privacy risks, increase the risk of identity theft, and cause serious degradation to personal and business computers that can cost millions of dollars in lost productivity. It is the intent of I Liheslatura to protect owners and operators of computers on Guam from the use of spyware and malware that is deceptively or surreptitiously installed on the owner’s or the operator’s computer.