An Idea Whose Time Has Come

You may have missed this story (I know I almost did), but it is definitely one that is worth knowing about. Last week, online privacy advocate TRUSTe announced the beginning of the Trusted Download Program. TRUSTe is leading the efforts to get the program adopted, but it is also being backed by a number of large tech companies, including CNET, Yahoo, America-on-Line, Verizon, Computer Associates and others.

The program's goal is to certify computer downloads to insure they conform to a strict set of guidelines and practices. While any kind of program can earn certification, the main focus of the Trusted Download Program is to reign in adware vendors by providing them with incentives to make their programs behave in a responsible and noninvasive manner.

Here are some of its most important points. First, any company wishing to obtain certification must allow users to opt out all third-party bundles upon installation. Second, every time a user sees an advertisement, he or she must also see a notice clearly stating what company is delivering the ad, along with instructions for uninstalling the ad-serving product.

It's also worth noting that adware vendors will be responsible for policing all their affiliates and that screening will be conducted on an ongoing basis. The former policy should help cut down on the amount of shady, non-disclosed installations, while the latter will ensure that a company can't just temporarily clean up its act to earn certification. (For more information, visit the official Trusted Download Program's Web site or read Peter Butler's latest Spyware Hunt blog entry.) As you might expect, the Trusted Download Program has its share of critics, most of whom believe that separating the "good" adware vendors from the bad ones will in effect increase the distribution of the bad type of software.

It will be interesting to see how many adware vendors will actually take every step necessary to achieve certification. And even if they do, is it too late in the game to salvage their unsavory reputations after years of doing things the wrong way? (For instance, 180solutions, which has already announced it will apply for certification next year will likely have a very tough time convincing folks that it's now on the up and up.)

As the title of this blog suggests, this is an idea whose time has come, and, in fact, may be long overdue. Unsuspecting users need to be protected from companies who want to put adware and spyware on their computers without their permission.