Washington wakes up to spyware, adware

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A Simple Solution: Robert Heinlein once defined an elephant as "a mouse built to government specifications". In this case, the government is readying an elephant gun to kill a mouse.

Rather than take years to try and define and regulate every possible permutation of spyware and adware, there is a simpler solution that will allow the problem to ultimately fix itself: Informed consent.

When people download a freeware program that contains spyware or adware, they are technically giving consent to install these "extras" because that consent is invariably buried somewhere in a ten page, fine print EULA that nobody reads. That this consent is uninformed is obvious from the number of complaints made by people who had no idea that this crap was being installed on their systems.

Thus, if they who bundle spyware/adware with their programs were required to give clear and unambiguous notice that it was going to be installed along with the freeware, it's obvious that this practice would soon cease. After all, most people wouldn't knowingly allow this crap to be installed on their systems.

Obviously, for such notification to be "clear and unambiguous", a separate consent form would have to be generated at the beginning of any installation. My idea for such a warning would take the form of the following example displayed in large, easy-to-read text:

***********************************

INSTALLATION WARNING:

NOTICE: In addition to installing the Acme Freeware Program this program also installs Acme Spyware software. This software accumulates information on you and your Internet activities and forwards this information to the Acme Spyware Company for sale to third parties. By installing the Acme Freeware Program you also agree to the installation of the Acme Spyware software. You also agree that the Acme Spyware Company may use this information in any way that it sees fit.

I Agree (Continue with Installation)

I Disagree (Cancel Installation)

***********************************

Obviously, the wording would have to change with the kind of spyware/adware being installed. Nevertheless, I think everyone gets the point.

Additionally, the practice of spyware/adware that can't be uninstalled would have to end. At the very least, regulators would have to require that any spyware/adware uninstall completely if the program it came bundled with was uninstalled.; Posted by: Octol Posted on: 04/28/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use