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AntiSpyware Initiative: Yahoo, AOL, CNET, And Verizon
John Stith
Staff Writer
2005-11-16
 Insider Reports RSS Feed
Some big players came into the antispyware game on Wednesday as a number of companies signed on for stringent standards to stop the distribution of insidious spyware. The Trusted Download Program beta from TRUSTe is a program put together that will force software vendors to "clearly and unavoidably communicate key functionalities and obtain consumer consent prior to download."
"With consumers downloading more and more software, it's vital to give people real control over what they will allow on their computers," said Fran Maier, executive director and president of TRUSTe. "Through our Trusted Download Program we will provide a clear, actionable set of standards and an effective method of monitoring and enforcing those standards. This extends TRUSTe's mission to build trust between individuals and organizations online."
The Trusted Download Program promotes ethical behavior by publishing a "whitelist" of certified applications. The whitelist will be used by companies beginning with program sponsors such as Yahoo!, AOL, Computer Associates, CNET Networks and Verizon as a tool to make business decisions about advertising, partnering or distributing software products. This provides attractive market incentives to adware and other software providers to meet the requirements and earn certification.
"Yahoo! is very proud to help create this historic program. For the first time, companies, like Yahoo!, will have a powerful tool to identify software applications that respect consumers and a means to monitor and enforce compliance over time," said Doug Leeds, Yahoo!'s vice president, Product Justice. "This Program takes the strong desire of leading internet companies to protect their customers and transforms it into a market incentive for software developers to build better products. In the end, the consumer is the real winner."
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About the Author:
John is a staff writer for SecurityProNews covering cyber security.
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