Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the sale of spyware to individuals across the internet.

Installing spyware on a computer without the owners consent is already covered by the offences in the Computer Misuse Act 1990. Any unauthorised access to a computer however that is achieved, whether by spyware or another programme is an offence under the Computer Misuse Act. It is also an offence to make or supply an article (which includes spyware) intending it to be used to gain unauthorised access to a computer. Similarly, it is an offence to obtain an article with a view to it being supplied for use to commit such an offence. Amendments to section 3A of the Computer Misuse Act in the Serious Crime Bill will also make it an offence to obtain an article intending it to be used to commit such an offence.