Anti-spyware group Coast hits an iceberg

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The Consortium of Anti-Spyware Technology vendors (Coast) was founded in 2003 as a nonprofit group of anti-spyware companies to help establish industry-binding guidelines defining spyware and a code of ethics surrounding the distribution of desktop software. But in February, co-founder Webroot Software dissented when, according to its vice president of research, the group sought to reform adware developers by helping them change and become certified Coast members....

....The walkout had come just weeks after the group welcomed as a member adware maker 180Solutions, a company whose practices have been repeatedly in the spotlight. That decision capped growing frustration over the group's direction, according to representatives from Aluria and Webroot, making it impossible for them to remain.

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http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5...=zdfd.newsfeed

From the COAST code of ethics

http://www.coast-info.org/codeofethics.htm

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Members and member products or services may not:
Provide incomplete uninstalls
Utilize drive-by downloads
Send or cause to send unsolicited email
Participate in bundled installs that do not disclose info in EULA, or has a confusing EULA or is buried in the EULA
Engage in misrepresentation of intention: a product should do what it promises to do; further, it should not omit or hide activities
Provide fully automated product updates without the user's awareness: they may only be done with specific customer consent
Connect to a remote system without the user's awareness to transmit usage statistics and/or personally identifiable information
Modify web page information as displayed by site operator: replace text/graphics, substituting ads for other ads, etc

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Think the companies that left had doubts their new member met this criteria?

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Think the companies that left had doubts their new member met this criteria?

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From the article mentioned:
http://www.antionline.com/showthread...hreadid=265877

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Edelman has published a detailed research report about 180solutions that calls the company's installation practices unethical.

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I am not surprised that they have finally dissolved.

Old saying that "Set a thief to catch a thief."

Although "Cat amongst the pigeons" seems more apt :D

Too many cooks
Fox to guard the chickens

Your turn :)

Foxy:

SNAFU

.... nuff said?

have read here also
http://www.revenews.com/wayneporter/...0565.html#more

180solutions.. dunno which is worse their ethics or their software..

from 180Solutions' website:

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180solutions is a leading provider of Internet search marketing solutions. We provide search assistant software that delivers consumers to highly targeted websites on behalf of advertisers when they are searching the Internet for products or services.

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Yeah, *here's* a group that I'd want establishing "industry-binding guidelines defining spyware and a code of ethics surrounding the distribution of desktop software..."

meh, what a crock...

-Wiski C.

EDIT: This guy nailed it: http://netrn.net/spywareblog/archive...tops-the-list/

BTW, TigerShark's post reminded me:
http://www.jargon.net/jargonfile/s/SNAFUprinciple.html

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highly targeted websites on behalf of advertisers

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Basic translation:-

We provide content sorted precisely by the amount of cash the lame crap provider of "content" pays us. As a genuine search engine we absolutely suck but we make the interface look pretty and give the moron users lot's of opportunities to try to get "free stuff" while we collect their personal information and sell it for yet more profit to other virtual sharks that will eat them alive like we are trying to. Then we give them the rubbish from our highest paying customers which are usually shady lying bastards that are doing the same as us.... but luckily the (L)users are absolute morons and still use our uttlerly useless "service"

There are numerous "search engines" out there that do exactly this.... 180solutions is one of the _high_ level pieces of crap that invades systems whenever, however and in any way they can.