It may sound like the narration for a poorly-written 1980′s cartoon, but it represents a salvo in the fight against certain types of sneaky and annoying computer programs. The Stop Badware Coalition, the Google- and Sun-backed group dedicated to combating “spyware, malware, and deceptive adware” (we first covered them here), sternly rebukes four companies in its first Badware Report, with file-sharing program Kazaa heading its axis-of-malicious-and-unintentionally-installed-software.
According to this eWeek story, the other Badware-guys on the list of no-goodniks are download manager MediaPipe, 3D-screensaver Waterfalls 3, and ironically enough SpyAxe, which claims its purpose is to remove “potentially undesired items” like spyware and malware. Among the listed crimes: three of the offenders, including Kazaa (which claims to be spyware-free) don’t fully uninstall, leaving behind potentially hazardous components; the fourth, Waterfalls 3, comes bundled with a Trojan horse that allows its parent company to remotely install any software it wants on users’ computers without telling them.
Unfortunately, the Stop Badware Coalition can’t do much beyond sharing this information in an attempt to educate consumers. Public degradation is nonetheless shaping up to be a popular tactic in the struggle against malware. A non-profit policy institute called the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) has taken up a strategy previously mulled by the FTC: naming and shaming companies that do business with adware abusers. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported yesterday that CDT called out 18 companies dealing with 180solutions, which CDT alleges is “deceptive and unfair” in its advertising practices (we recently mentioned 180solutions in a more comprehensive piece about CPV advertising).
Seven of the firms claimed to have or were implementing policies for “dealing” with deceptive advertisements, one said they’d cut ties with 180solutions a month prior to the report, and ten remained mum. 180solutions Cheif Executive Keith Smith responded by questioning the premise of CDT’s efforts, namely that consumers install adware unawares. “The challenge comes from the fact that there are certain people who just can’t quite understand why a consumer would install ads on their computer,” he said. We can understand that. But we think that certain consumers probably don’t understand what they’re in for until they try removing certain adware.
