SpyWare - Knowledge

Individuals need to be educated in order to make an informed decision about their privacy in cyberspace. Advertising-supported software is a viable business model which allows often struggling software developers to make money without requiring the end user to pay for the software. Spyware is not an illegal type of software. Companies disclose the nature of the information being collected and transmitted in their privacy statements. They count on the ignorance of consumer's to "agree" to the veiled language in the EULA, which gives them carte blanche to bundle spyware.

However, web bugs deceive both consumers and webmasters, without informing or obtaining the consent of either. Unfavorable press and attention from informed consumers does have an impact. Many companies are rewriting their privacy statements; others are changing their spyware practices to not distribute or to decrease the amount of spyware being distributed. Host companies are beginning to put the brakes on allowing this software to be distributed with their products. Sites such as Google are publishing statements that they do not allow pop-up ads of any kind, along with reasons that it may happen and a link to the Federal Trade Commission to file a complaint (No pop-up). The creator of an add-on program for AOL Time Warner's Instant Messenger recently agreed to remove a statistic gathering code that is embedded in AIM+ (Lemos).

Consumers drive the economy-their opinions and actions carry tremendous weight. It is crucial that the general public becomes knowledgeable about spyware and gains a clear understanding of the impact it may have in the future. There is a plethora of information available on the Internet, including guidelines on how to protect ones privacy, mechanisms to submit suspected spyware for analysis, and templates of letters to both spyware companies and the FTC. Web sites and discussion groups dedicated to debating these issues flourish, not just in this country but across the globe.