HP Spying More Elaborate Than Reported

Damon Darlin, reporting for The New York Times:

Those briefed on the company’s review of the operation say detectives tried to plant software on at least one journalist’s computer that would enable messages to be traced, and also followed directors and possibly a journalist in an attempt to identify a leaker on the board.

Attempting to plant spyware on someone’s computer is a criminal act, is it not? Patricia Dunn, HP’s chairwoman who initiated the spying, has already been demoted from the chair. But why does she remain on HP’s board at all? Do the other board members — whom she commissioned spying against — support her?

★ Monday, 18 September 2006