[Fsf-friends] New guidelines to beat spyware

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1278978,curpg-2.cms

New guidelines to beat spyware
[ Friday, October 28, 2005 11:15:59 pmAP ]

NEW YORK: A coalition of anti-spyware vendors and consumer groups
published guidelines on Thursday to help consumers assess products
designed to combat unwanted programs that sneak onto computers. 

The Anti-Spyware Coalition released the guidelines for public comment
and also updated a separate document that attempted to craft uniform
definitions for "spyware" and "adware" in hopes of giving computer users
more control over their machines. 

According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, Internet users
have become more cautious online because of worries about spyware and
adware, which can bombard users with pop-up ads and drain processing
power to the point of rendering computers unusable. 

Nearly half of adult online Americans have stopped visiting specific
websites that they fear might infect them with such unwanted programs,
and a quarter have ... ceased to use file-sharing software, which often
comes bundled with adware. 

In addition, 43% of Internet users say theyhhh’ve been hit with spyware,
adware or both, with broadband users generally at greater risk. The new
guidelines from the coalition assign risk levels to various practices
common with spyware and adware. 

High-risk practices include installation without a user’s permission or
knowledge, interference with competing programs, interception of e-mail
and instant-messaging conversations and the display of ads without
identifying the program that generated them. 

Changing a browser’s home page or search engine setting is deemed a
medium risk, while using cookies to collect information is considered a
low risk. ENDS