Bill Text: NY S04444 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Establishes the computer security act, addressing the widespread problem of spyware; makes it illegal for third parties to knowingly and deceptively cause computer software to be copied onto personal computers that changes the computer users settings without permission, prevents users from resetting computers to the original preferences or removing third party software, secretly collects information about internet searches, disables the computer's security software or causes related disruptive activities.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY [S04444 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S04444-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          4444
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                     March 11, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Internet and Technology
        AN ACT to amend the general business law, in  relation  to  establishing
          "the computer security act"
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Section 150 of  the  general  business  law  is  renumbered
     2  section 154.
     3    §  2.  The general business law is amended by adding a new article 9-D
     4  to read as follows:
     5                                 ARTICLE 9-D
     6                          THE COMPUTER SECURITY ACT
     7  Section 150.   Short title.
     8          151.   Definitions.
     9          152.   Unlawful acts involving computer software.
    10          153.   Penalties.
    11          153-a. Immunity from liability for violations.
    12          153-b. Preempting other jurisdictional actions about spyware.
    13    § 150. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited  as  "the
    14  computer security act."
    15    § 151. Definitions.  For purposes of this article, the following terms
    16  shall have the following meanings:
    17    1. "Advertisement" means a communication, the primary purpose of which
    18  is  the commercial promotion of a commercial product or service, includ-
    19  ing content on an internet website operated for a commercial purpose.
    20    2. "Authorized user," with respect to a computer, means a  person  who
    21  owns or is authorized by the owner or lessee to use the computer.
    22    3. "Cause to be copied" means to distribute or transfer computer soft-
    23  ware or any component thereof. Such term shall not include providing:
    24    a. Transmission, routing, provision of intermediate temporary storage,
    25  or caching of software;
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10389-01-9

        S. 4444                             2
     1    b.  A  storage  medium,  such  as a compact disk, website, or computer
     2  server, through which the software was distributed by a third party; or
     3    c.  An  information  location tool, such as a directory, index, refer-
     4  ence, pointer, or hypertext link, through which the user of the computer
     5  located the software.
     6    4. "Computer software" means a sequence of instructions written in any
     7  programming language that is executed on a computer. Such term shall not
     8  include a text or data file, a web page, or a data component  of  a  web
     9  page that is not executable independently of the web page.
    10    5.  "Computer  virus"  means  a  computer  program  or  other  set  of
    11  instructions that is designed to degrade the performance of or disable a
    12  computer or computer network  and is designed to  have  the  ability  to
    13  replicate  itself  on  other  computers or computer networks without the
    14  authorization of the owners of those computers or computer networks.
    15    6. "Consumer" means an individual who resides in this  state  and  who
    16  uses  the computer in question primarily for personal, family, or house-
    17  hold purposes.
    18    7. "Damage" means any  significant  impairment  to  the  integrity  or
    19  availability of data, software, a system, or information.
    20    8.  "Execute,"  when used with respect to computer software, means the
    21  performance of the functions or the carrying out of the instructions  of
    22  the computer software.
    23    9. "Intentionally deceptive" means any of the following:
    24    a.  By  means  of  an intentionally and materially false or fraudulent
    25  statement;
    26    b. By means of a statement or description that intentionally omits  or
    27  misrepresents material information in order to deceive the consumer; or
    28    c.  By  means  of  an  intentional and material failure to provide any
    29  notice to an authorized user regarding the download or  installation  of
    30  software in order to deceive the consumer.
    31    10.  "Internet"  means the global information system that is logically
    32  linked together by a globally unique address space based on the internet
    33  protocol or its subsequent extensions; that is able to support  communi-
    34  cations using the transmission control protocol/internet protocol suite,
    35  its  subsequent extensions, or other internet protocol compatible proto-
    36  cols; and that provides, uses, or makes accessible, either  publicly  or
    37  privately, high level services layered on the communications and related
    38  infrastructure described in this subdivision.
    39    11.  "Person"  means any individual, partnership, corporation, limited
    40  liability company, or other organization, or any combination thereof.
    41    12. "Personally identifiable information" means any of the following:
    42    a. A first name or first initial in combination with a last name;
    43    b. Credit or debit card numbers or other financial account numbers;
    44    c. A password or personal identification number required to access  an
    45  identified financial account;
    46    d. A Social Security number; or
    47    e.  Any of the following information in a form that personally identi-
    48  fies an authorized user:
    49    (1) Account balances;
    50    (2) Overdraft history;
    51    (3) Payment history;
    52    (4) A history of websites visited;
    53    (5) A home address;
    54    (6) A work address; or
    55    (7) A record of a purchase or purchases.

        S. 4444                             3
     1    § 152. Unlawful acts involving computer software. 1. It shall be ille-
     2  gal for a person or entity that is not an authorized user, as defined in
     3  section one hundred fifty-one of this article, of  a  computer  in  this
     4  state  to knowingly, willfully, or with conscious indifference or disre-
     5  gard cause computer software to be copied onto such computer and use the
     6  software to do any of the following:
     7    a. Modify, through intentionally deceptive means, any of the following
     8  settings related to the computer's access to, or use of, the internet:
     9    (1) The page that appears when an authorized user launches an internet
    10  browser  or  similar  software  program  used to access and navigate the
    11  internet;
    12    (2) The default provider or web proxy  the  authorized  user  uses  to
    13  access or search the internet; or
    14    (3) The authorized user's list of bookmarks used to access web pages;
    15    b.  Collect,  through  intentionally deceptive means, personally iden-
    16  tifiable information that meets any of the following criteria:
    17    (1) It is collected through the use of  a  keystroke-logging  function
    18  that  records  all  keystrokes  made  by an authorized user who uses the
    19  computer and transfers that information from  the  computer  to  another
    20  person;
    21    (2) It includes all or substantially all of the websites visited by an
    22  authorized user, other than websites of the provider of the software, if
    23  the computer software was installed in a manner designed to conceal from
    24  all authorized users of the computer the fact that the software is being
    25  installed; or
    26    (3) It is a data element described in paragraph b, c, or d of subdivi-
    27  sion  twelve  of  section  one  hundred fifty-one of this article, or in
    28  subparagraph one or two of paragraph e of subdivision twelve of  section
    29  one  hundred  fifty-one  of  this  article,  that  is extracted from the
    30  consumer's or business entity's computer hard drive for a purpose wholly
    31  unrelated to any of the purposes of the software or service described to
    32  an authorized user;
    33    c. Prevent, without the authorization of an authorized  user,  through
    34  intentionally  deceptive  means, an authorized user's reasonable efforts
    35  to block the installation of, or to disable, software, by causing  soft-
    36  ware  that the authorized user has properly removed or disabled to auto-
    37  matically reinstall or reactivate on the computer without  the  authori-
    38  zation of an authorized user;
    39    d.  Intentionally  misrepresent  that  software will be uninstalled or
    40  disabled by an authorized user's action, with knowledge that  the  soft-
    41  ware will not be so uninstalled or disabled; or
    42    e.  Through  intentionally deceptive means, remove, disable, or render
    43  inoperative security, antispyware, or antivirus  software  installed  on
    44  the computer.
    45    2.  It  shall be illegal for a person or entity that is not an author-
    46  ized user, as defined in section one hundred fifty-one of this  article,
    47  of  a  computer in this state to knowingly, willfully, or with conscious
    48  indifference or disregard cause computer software to be copied onto such
    49  computer and use the software to do any of the following:
    50    a. Take control of the consumer's or  business  entity's  computer  by
    51  doing any of the following:
    52    (1)  Transmitting or relaying commercial electronic mail or a computer
    53  virus from the consumer's or business entity's computer, where the tran-
    54  smission or relaying is initiated by a person other than the  authorized
    55  user and without the authorization of an authorized user;

        S. 4444                             4
     1    (2)  Accessing  or  using the consumer's or business entity's modem or
     2  internet service for the purpose of causing damage to the consumer's  or
     3  business  entity's  computer or of causing an authorized user or a third
     4  party affected by such conduct to incur financial charges for a  service
     5  that is not authorized by an authorized user;
     6    (3)  Using  the consumer's or business entity's computer as part of an
     7  activity performed by a group of computers for the  purpose  of  causing
     8  damage  to  another computer, including, but not limited to, launching a
     9  denial of service attack; or
    10    (4) Opening multiple, sequential, stand-alone  advertisements  in  the
    11  consumer's  or  business  entity's internet browser without the authori-
    12  zation of an authorized  user  and  with  knowledge  that  a  reasonable
    13  computer  user  cannot  close the advertisements without turning off the
    14  computer or closing the consumer's or business entity's  internet  brow-
    15  ser;
    16    b.  Modify  any  of  the  following settings related to the computer's
    17  access to, or use of, the internet:
    18    (1) An authorized user's  security  or  other  settings  that  protect
    19  information  about  the  authorized  user  for  the  purpose of stealing
    20  personal information of an authorized user; or
    21    (2) The security settings of the computer for the purpose  of  causing
    22  damage to one or more computers; or
    23    c.  Prevent,  without  the  authorization  of  an  authorized user, an
    24  authorized user's reasonable efforts to block the installation of, or to
    25  disable, software, by doing any of the following:
    26    (1) Presenting the authorized user with an option to decline installa-
    27  tion of software with knowledge that, when the option is selected by the
    28  authorized user, the installation nevertheless proceeds; or
    29    (2) Falsely representing the software has been disabled.
    30    3. It shall be illegal for a person or entity that is not  an  author-
    31  ized  user, as defined in section one hundred fifty-one of this article,
    32  of a computer in this state to do any of the following  with  regard  to
    33  such computer:
    34    a.  Induce an authorized user to install a software component onto the
    35  computer by intentionally misrepresenting that  installing  software  is
    36  necessary  for security or privacy reasons or in order to open, view, or
    37  play a particular type of content; or
    38    b. Deceptively causing the copying and execution on the computer of  a
    39  computer  software  component  with  the intent of causing an authorized
    40  user to use the component in a way that violates any other provision  of
    41  this subdivision.
    42    4. Nothing in this section shall apply to any monitoring of, or inter-
    43  action  with,  a user's internet or other network connection or service,
    44  or a protected computer, by a telecommunications carrier,  cable  opera-
    45  tor,  computer hardware or software provider, or provider of information
    46  service or interactive computer service for network or computer security
    47  purposes, diagnostics, technical support,  repair,  network  management,
    48  network  maintenance, authorized updates of software or system firmware,
    49  authorized remote system management, or detection or prevention  of  the
    50  unauthorized  use  of  or  fraudulent  or  other  illegal  activities in
    51  connection with a network,  service,  or  computer  software,  including
    52  scanning for and removing software proscribed under this article.
    53    §  153.  Penalties. 1. Any person who violates the provisions of para-
    54  graph b of subdivision one of section  one  hundred  fifty-two  of  this
    55  article,  subparagraph  one, two, or three of paragraph a of subdivision
    56  two of section one hundred fifty-two of this article or paragraph  b  of

        S. 4444                             5
     1  subdivision  two  of section one hundred fifty-two of this article shall
     2  be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall  be  sentenced
     3  to  imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten years or a fine
     4  of not more than three million dollars, or both.
     5    2.  The  attorney  general may bring a civil action against any person
     6  violating the provisions of  this  article  to  the  penalties  for  the
     7  violation and may recover any or all of the following:
     8    a.  A civil penalty of up to one hundred dollars per violation of this
     9  article, or up to one hundred thousand dollars for a pattern or practice
    10  of such violations;
    11    b. Costs and reasonable attorney's fees; and
    12    c. An order to enjoin the violation.
    13    3. In the case of a violation of subparagraph two of  paragraph  a  of
    14  subdivision  two  of  section one hundred fifty-two of this article that
    15  causes a telecommunications carrier to incur costs for the  origination,
    16  transport,  or  termination  of  a  call  triggered using the modem of a
    17  customer  of  such  telecommunications  carrier  as  a  result  of  such
    18  violation,  the  telecommunications  carrier  may  bring  a civil action
    19  against the violator to recover any or all of the following:
    20    a. The charges such carrier is obligated to pay to another carrier  or
    21  to an information service provider as a result of the violation, includ-
    22  ing,  but  not  limited  to,  charges  for the origination, transport or
    23  termination of the call;
    24    b. Costs of handling customer inquiries or complaints with respect  to
    25  amounts billed for such calls;
    26    c. Costs and reasonable attorney's fees; and
    27    d. An order to enjoin the violation.
    28    4.  An  internet  service  provider  or  software company that expends
    29  resources in good faith assisting consumers or business entities  harmed
    30  by  a violation of this article, or a trademark owner whose mark is used
    31  to deceive consumers or business entities in violation of this  article,
    32  may enforce the violation and may recover any or all of the following:
    33    a.  Statutory  damages  of  not  more  than  one  hundred  dollars per
    34  violation of this article, or up to one million dollars for a pattern or
    35  practice of such violations;
    36    b. Costs and reasonable attorney's fees; and
    37    c. An order to enjoin the violation.
    38    § 153-a. Immunity from liability for violations. 1. For  the  purposes
    39  of  this section, the term "employer" includes a business entity's offi-
    40  cers, directors, parent corporation, subsidiaries, affiliates, and other
    41  corporate entities under common ownership or control within  a  business
    42  enterprise.  No  employer may be held criminally or civilly liable under
    43  this article as a result of any actions taken:
    44    a. With respect to computer equipment used by its employees,  contrac-
    45  tors, subcontractors, agents, leased employees, or other staff which the
    46  employer  owns,  leases,  or  otherwise  makes available or allows to be
    47  connected to the employer's network or other computer facilities; or
    48    b. By employees, contractors, subcontractors, agents,  leased  employ-
    49  ees,  or  other staff who misuse an employer's computer equipment for an
    50  illegal purpose without the employer's knowledge, consent, or approval.
    51    2. No person shall be held criminally or  civilly  liable  under  this
    52  article  when  its  protected  computers  have been used by unauthorized
    53  users to violate this article or other laws without such person's  know-
    54  ledge, consent, or approval.
    55    3.  A  manufacturer  or  retailer  of  computer equipment shall not be
    56  liable under this section, criminally or civilly, to the extent that the

        S. 4444                             6
     1  manufacturer or retailer is providing third party branded software  that
     2  is installed on the computer equipment that the manufacturer or retailer
     3  is manufacturing or selling.
     4    §  153-b.  Preempting other jurisdictional actions about spyware.  The
     5  legislature finds that this article is a matter of  state-wide  concern.
     6  This  article  supersedes  and  preempts  all rules, regulations, codes,
     7  ordinances, and other laws adopted by any county, municipality,  consol-
     8  idated  government, or other local governmental agency regarding spyware
     9  and notices to consumers  from  computer  software  providers  regarding
    10  information collection.
    11    § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
    12  ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
feedback