[photopress:IGphone.jpg,full,alignright]Some programs surreptitiously bung other programs on to your computer. If they are very small and merely reflect where you have been they are called cookies and are harmless and make surfing the Internet faster.
But,Sun Zhongpeng, a Chinese netizen, has brought a law suit against a Chinese search engine which he accuses of surreptitiously including spyware in its internet phone program,. The case started in the People’s Court in Beijing’s Haidian District at the end of last week.
Sun Zhongpeng said he downloaded and installed an Internet phone software IGphone developed by Zhongsou.com which claims to be the world’s largest Chinese language search engine.
Sun, who is a member of the China Anti-Hooligan Software Alliance (a splendid name which should be encouraged) told the court that after he installed the phone software malicious software called Internet Pig — it even sounds malicious — installed itself on his computer.
Sun says he could not uninstall the software completely. He says the leftovers of the program would operate automatically and slowed his computer. And, while it was doing that, it was monitoring his activities on the Internet.
Sun Zhongpeng said, ‘Zhongsou might collect users’ information through the program for commercial purposes, which infringes upon my right to privacy.’
He is demanding an apology from Zhongsou and compensation of RMB94 ($11.75) for his economic losses and RMB1,000 in costs related to the case.
The company, Zhongsou, defended itself saying Sun Zhongpeng willingly downloaded Internet Pig when he agreed to install the phone software.
The company Zhongsou insists that the software can be uninstaled completely and that it is no longer in use.
The court, understandably, did not reach an early verdict.
This case has immense ramifications because, in essence, every program that Microsoft has to download on to your computer does the same thing. If it is illegal for the Internet Pig (great name, lads) it is illegal for Microsoft.
Source: Xinhua