The House today took a step toward cracking down on identity theft, passing a bill that would make it illegal to maliciously install spyware on someone’s computer.

The bill (HR 1525), passed by voice vote, also targets other activities that could damage a computer or alter its security settings.

Sponsored by Democrat Zoe Lofgren, who represents part of California’s Silicon Valley, the measure is almost identical to anti-spyware bills that passed the House overwhelmingly in the past two Congresses but did not see Senate action.

Lofgren and cosponsor Robert W. Goodlatte, R-Va., hope this year’s version will fare better in the Senate because it incorporates changes sought last year by the other chamber.

“This bill is the right approach because it focuses on technology, not behavior,” Lofgren said. “It targets the worst forms of spyware without unuly burdening technological innovation.”

The bill would require companies that want to install certain kinds of spyware to obtain a user’s consent before it is downloaded, and to make that spyware easy to remove. It also would authorize $10 million annually for the Justice Department to prosecute a new class of federal crime, which would include “phishing” and “pharming” scams that trick consumers into releasing credit card numbers and other personal information.