CDT has issued a useful report summarizing the actions taken so far by law enforcement agencies against spyware and adware vendors. Both federal (FTC and DoJ) and state (Attorneys General) actions are discussed. (As Prof. Eric Goldman points out, there are also a variety of civil cases that have been brought around the country.)

The report is a useful reminder to Congress that we may not need more new laws to tackle the spyware problem. As we've pointed out in the past, if Congress weighs in with new laws, those laws may do more harm than good (especially once the lobbyists for adware companies get into the game).

For those suffering with spyware and adware, enforcement of existing laws, coupled with a robust free market in anti-spyware tools, is more likely to provide relief than more federal laws. So kudos to federal and state authorities for enforcing existing laws against fraud and deceptive practices, and to CDT for bringing their efforts to light.