StopBadware.org Report Release
StopBadware.org is a "Neighborhood Watch" campaign aimed at fighting badware that's run out of the Berkman Center, the Oxford Internet Institute, Consumer Reports Webwatch, along with the support of companies like Google, Sun, and Lenovo . Approximately two months after it launched, Stopbadware.org released its first Badware Watch List report, spotlighting a number of companies that embed malicious spyware without the online users knowledge or consent.
You can check out the report here. You can read the press release here.
The report examines four applications reported by consumers as being "badware" to Stopbadware.org:
"Stopbadware.org examined four applications reported by consumers who submitted stories and technical reports and have added them to the Badware Watch List. The first, KaZaa, is a peer-to-peer file sharing program that misleadingly advertises itself as spyware-free, makes undisclosed changes to Internet Explorer, and does not completely remove all of its components during the uninstallation process. The second application, called MediaPipe, identifies itself as a Download Manager. MediaPipe does not fully disclose what it is installing and does not completely remove all components and obligations during the uninstallation process.
The next application examined, SpyAxe, advertises itself as a spyware removal program. StopBadware.org found it to be badware due to inadequate disclosure during the installation process, the failure to remove itself completely during uninstallation, and repeated, difficult-to-avoid requests to purchase the full version of the product. The final application, Waterfalls 3, is a screensaver, and includes components that are generally considered spyware, and modifies other software without disclosure."
If you'd like to get involved with the project or contribute your badware stories, please visit Stopbadware.org.
ZDnet, Information Week, IDG News Service, EarthTimes, Computer Weekly, LinuxWorld, and MSNBC are a few of the news outlets that reported on StopBadware's first series of reports.
You can check out the report here. You can read the press release here.
The report examines four applications reported by consumers as being "badware" to Stopbadware.org:
"Stopbadware.org examined four applications reported by consumers who submitted stories and technical reports and have added them to the Badware Watch List. The first, KaZaa, is a peer-to-peer file sharing program that misleadingly advertises itself as spyware-free, makes undisclosed changes to Internet Explorer, and does not completely remove all of its components during the uninstallation process. The second application, called MediaPipe, identifies itself as a Download Manager. MediaPipe does not fully disclose what it is installing and does not completely remove all components and obligations during the uninstallation process.
The next application examined, SpyAxe, advertises itself as a spyware removal program. StopBadware.org found it to be badware due to inadequate disclosure during the installation process, the failure to remove itself completely during uninstallation, and repeated, difficult-to-avoid requests to purchase the full version of the product. The final application, Waterfalls 3, is a screensaver, and includes components that are generally considered spyware, and modifies other software without disclosure."
If you'd like to get involved with the project or contribute your badware stories, please visit Stopbadware.org.
ZDnet, Information Week, IDG News Service, EarthTimes, Computer Weekly, LinuxWorld, and MSNBC are a few of the news outlets that reported on StopBadware's first series of reports.