A U.S. Senate committee has approved a bill that would outlaw the practice of remotely installing software that collects a computer users’ personal information without consent. The Software Principles Yielding Better Levels of Consumer Knowledge Act would also outlaw the installation of adware programs without a computer user’s permission. Spyblock, sponsored by Senator Conrad Burns, a Montana Republican, would prohibit hackers from remotely taking over a computer and prohibit programs that hijack Web browsers In addition the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved on Thursday a bill that would require companies with data breaches to notify affected customers and would set up rules for the U.S. government’s use of private databases. The Personal Data Privacy and Security Act, sponsored by committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, and Senator Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, would also require data brokers to allow U.S. residents to correct their personal data, and it would require businesses holding the personal data of more than 10,000 U.S. residents to conduct risk assessments and implement data-protection policies. Businesses not implementing the security plans could be fined up to US$35,000 a day.