The Internet has changed our lives in countless ways. Citizens can get news and information at the click of a mouse. Friends and relatives can communicate instantly via e-mail while thousands of miles apart. Consumers can shop and pay bills without ever leaving home.

But for each improvement, the Internet also has created new threats and risks. Hate messages and kiddie porn travel as easily through cyberspace as headline news and food recipes. E-mail allows con artists to bury consumers in a landslide of unsolicited messages touting everything from phony cancer cures to worthless get-rich-quick schemes. Online shopping and bill paying create new opportunities for consumer fraud and misuse of personal information, such as identity theft.

We are working hard to confront these problems and make cyberspace a safe place for kids, adults, consumers, and businesses. We are using the state's Consumer Protection Act to go after online con artists, and encouraging cooperative efforts to help law enforcement respond more effectively to old crimes committed in this new environment. We are supporting legislation that will give law enforcement better tools to combat online crime. And we are working with the University of Washington and other entities to develop best practices for businesses in the Internet marketplace.

Here are some of the initiatives we have undertaken:

• The Internet has been described by one pedophile as “the most dangerous playground in America.” That is why we designed our Kids and the Internet program. Visit this site for some essential information every parent—and child—should know about using the Internet safely.
• We formed a High Tech Unit to enforce the state Consumer Protection Act in cyberspace and support law enforcement efforts to fight cyber crime.
• We led efforts to form a coalition of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that is dedicated to fighting computer-related crime in this state. The coalition, called Computer Law Enforcement of Washington (CLEW), educates citizens and works together to help solve computer crimes that cross jurisdictional boundaries.
• We created an on-line consumer complaint form so people can file consumer complaints quickly and easily from their desktops.  We created another online form that citizens can use to send us complaints about spam and partnered with the Washington Association of Internet Service Providers (WAISP) who host a registry where citizens can register their email address putting would-be-spammers on notice.   
• We are working with the University of Washington and other entities to develop best practices for doing business in the Internet marketplace.
• Spam, or unsolicited commercial e-mail, has become a terrible problem for individuals and businesses. It has become our number one consumer complaint and some estimates indicate spam costs legitimate businesses $9 billion a year. At our request, the Legislature passed a bill making spam illegal and it gives individuals the right to sue spammers.
• More and more Americans are finding their personal information, like social security numbers, bank and credit card balances, and buying habits, is being gathered, sorted, bought, sold, and used in ways they never intended. Our Privacy site will give you plenty of information and tips to help protect yourself from the possible misuse of personal information.
• Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. For victims, it takes a lot of time, money and frustration to restore your good credit. Our Identity Theft site is loaded with information for consumers and businesses. It will give you powerful tools to help avoid identity theft and explain what you can do if you are a victim.
• We developed the SafetyNet Campaign, which includes a variety of efforts to inform people about Internet safety. We are visiting schools and talking to kids, parents and educators about ways to protect children online. We are working with business to distribute information about unsolicited e-mail, or spam. And we are expanding and improving the Internet-safety information on this web site (refer to the links below and in the left navigation bar for more information).

More Topics on Internet Safety

Kids and the Internet | Spam | Pop Up Ads | Advanced Fee Fraud | Online Auctions | Internet Cramming | Peer to Peer File Sharing | Cyber Safety Campaign | Resources and Links