Comments on: Few solutions pop up at FTC adware workshop

Spyware and adware have become the top complaint in customer service calls to computer makers, but a workshop convened by the Federal Trade Commission yields few answers.

[C.Schroeder]

Pro-consumer?!

If Avi Naider thinks his adware is "pro-consumer," he has not been subjected to its effect on a typical dial-up internet session for any serious length of time. Is WhenU installed and active on all of the PCs personally used by Naider?

[danp129]

EULA law

I think it would help if adware/spyware programs were required to have a disclaimer at the very beginning of their EULA stating that track keystrokes, log websites viewed, pop up ads, etc...

The purpose of this is that most people are not interested in reading an entire EULA just to see if it contains something relating to spyware/adware burried someware in the 20 pages of text. A 20 page EULA more like 100+ pages when viewed in the small window they are often contained in, which makes it hard to scan through.


We need a group of people to agree upon small descriptions of each type of spyware/adware known. Each vendor of spyware/adware will have to include in their disclaimer each statement that fits their software. They should not be allowed to modify the text of the statements and they must include all statments that apply to them.

Pre-determined statments would look similar to the following list:



This program is preconfigured to track your internet usage and will update collected usage without asking your permission each time.

This program is preconfigured to track your internet usage and will update collected usage at your discretion.

This program, when enabled by the user, will track your internet usage and will update collected usage without asking your permission each time.

This program, when enabled by the user, will track your internet usage and will update collected usage at your descretion.

This program displays ads within it's own interface.

This program displays ads outside of it's own interface.

This program downloads updates to itself without asking your permission each time.

This program downloads other programs from the same vendor without asking your permission each time.

This program downloads other programs from third party vendors without asking your permission each time.

[anthonycea]

Google should worry, laws are a threat to them.

Google should worry, Microsoft should lead the fight against spyware, Yahoo should show some leadership also. It would be in both companies interest to market into the trend in computer users desire for privacy online. Gmail showed us all that we really do not want our private communication made available for Goons to look over to target ads back at us that really are good for nothing but making Google Rich.

Spyware laws are being proposed right now, internet users can do something about this, contact your Senators and demand that they support anti spyware/adware laws and software that transfers information to third parties, read more about this at http://www.searchwars.squarespace.com/display/ShowPage?moduleId=25147 We need Microsoft to take the lead against spyware and adware and market into this strong desire among internet users to rid the internet of the Big Brother Software Programs that threaten the internet itself as a commerce platform.