[grahamedgecombe]

In the UK it's probably already illegal under the Computer Misuse Act, as it'd fall under "unauthorised modification of computer material".

I assume other countries have similar laws.

That said, enforcing it is a different matter.

[cdrini]

Yeah, I think enforcement is probably a big part of what keeps the internet a "Wild West" for these cases; and improvements to enforcementability could fundamentally alter what the internet is :/

[more-coffee]

Yeah, I don't think the internet can be fundamentally altered to the extent that it could be regulated. Unless it somehow becomes a major priority for the world leaders - in which case I'll bet we can say goodbye to any privacy we still had.

It's been said before plenty of times, but I think the solution has to be sought in increasing awareness of the dangers of the internet. Compare it to the electrical grid. 99% of people would not mess with it without consulting/hiring an expert. Not just because it's illegal, but because of the obvious danger. But for the informational grid, "nobody" (exaggerating) cares because they cannot oversee the consequences.

Problem then is, how do you educate people about this... I don't know.