Microsoft and other tech companies are currently pushing bills in various U.S. states that would allow them and others complete access to all data on a private computer and to all Internet traffic in and out of it in the name of providing better privacy.

Called the "Computer Spyware Protection Act," House Bill 2083 would create fines of up to a million dollars for anyone using viruses or surreptitious computer techniques to break on to someone's computer without that person's knowledge and acceptance, according to the bill's state Senate author, Clark Jolley. "The bill has a clear prohibition on anything going in without your permission. You have to grant permission," said Jolley, R-Edmond. "You can look at your license agreement. It will say whether they have the ability to take that information or not."

But therein lies the catch. If you click that "accept" button on the routine user's agreement, the proposed law would allow any company from whom you bought upgradable software the freedom to come onto your computer for "detection or prevention of the unauthorized use of or fraudulent or other illegal activities in connection with a network, service, or computer software, including scanning for and removing computer software prescribed under this act."

That means that Microsoft (or another company with such software) can erase spyware or viruses. But if you have, say, a pirated copy of Excel - Microsoft (or companies with similar software) can erase it, or anything else they want to erase, and not be held liable for it. Additionally, that phrase "fraudulent or other illegal activities" means they can:

-Let the local district attorney know that you wrote a hot check last month.
-Let the attorney general know that you play online poker.
-Let the tax commission know you bought cartons of cigarettes and didn't pay the state tax on them.
-Read anything on your hard drive, such as your name, home address, personal identification code, passwords, Social Security number... etc., etc., etc.