They at times decide to use your private property for thier own gain. This statement allows that they used nefarious methods of installing rather than allowing you to foolishly click "OK" and "always trust company X"
In this case how is it different than installing cammeras in your house to gather data? repainting you rooms to advertise their wares? Breaking into your garage and installing a remote system so your car takes you where they want you to go? Or just plain driving up in a van and showing your children all the smut they have to show.

What the difference is is that computers and data are not cut and dried in the courts. Currently when it comes to legal matters computer law is much different than property law.
Right now we see cases where IP theft (oops I meant copyright violation) has worse penalties than car theft. Right now there have been articles going up about legislators (who are firmly in the pocket of spammers) trying to block the anti-spy ware bill. In the end it may get CAN-SPAM'd. We are just victims of technology advancing faster than the law.

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