Senate approves reauthorization of Safe Web Act

The Senate voted in favor of a House bill aimed at expanding the powers the Federal Trade Commission has to clamp down on Internet fraud and online scammers.

The Safe Web Act enables the FTC to share information about cross-border fraud with foreign law enforcement authorities and expands the type of fraud that the agency can take legal action against. The bill was first passed in 2006 and the reauthorized version is now headed to the president's desk to be signed into law. Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), the lead co-sponsor of the bill, said the measure will help protect Americans from online scammers and maintain a healthy market for e-commerce.