• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, June 13, 2005

As part of an ongoing initiative against spyware, the Center for Democracy and Technology has, in the last month, quietly reached out to ten Fortune 500 businesses which in the past have advertised with companies that have engaged in troubling practices.

The hope, said Ari Schwartz, associate director at the center, is that the companies contacted will develop and implement guidelines that encourage transparency in advertising, and discourage the use of adware/spyware that is installed without users' permission. The center started with ten Fortune 500 companies, from a list of 25 drawn up by adware/spyware consultant Ben Edelman. All 25 have previously advertised online with companies known for questionable practices, said Schwartz.

The initiative is still in its early stages, Schwartz said. "We're seeing how to move forward, and how this will work out over time," he said.

At least a few major companies already follow guidelines that discourage spyware and some forms of adware. For instance, last July, Verizon Communications--after being named as a supporter of adware/spyware by Edelman in June 2004--announced that it would implement new adware guidelines. Among other requirements, the Verizon policies mandate clear branding of the source of pop-ups, easy-to-follow removal instructions, clear and conspicuous notice, and downloading processes that "ensure informed consent from computer users before the software is downloaded."

Some of the companies contacted by the Center for Democracy and Technology also have standards in place that prohibit spyware--but, said Schwartz, the chain of middlemen involved in online advertising makes it difficult for companies to even realize when their guidelines are violated.