The CDT’s recent report, entitled “Following the Money,” has been spun in the media as the Center for Democracy & Technology’s initial attempt to “shame” advertisers for running their ads through “nuisance and harmful” adware programs. The report claims that “[e]very day, thousands of Internet users are duped into downloading adware programs they neither want nor need. Once installed, the programs bog down computers’ normal functions, deluging users with pop-up advertisements, creating privacy and security risks and generally diminishing the quality of the online experience.”

First and foremost, it’s always interesting to examine motives and credibility. Ari Schwartz, Deputy Director of the CDT, stated in a public posting on the Wired Magazine website (Issue 14.02, February 2006 – click here to view), that the Anti Spyware Coalition (ASC), founded by the CDT, “has not - and will never - take money from adware or spyware developers.” We find this comment, and the unprovoked and unsubstantiated attacks on 180solutions, quite curious, given that the CDT gladly accepted our donation in August 2005 specifically earmarked for the ASC initiative. They even acknowledged the contribution in a thank-you letter to us (click here to view), so you make the call, but this certainly adds a twist to the idea of “Following the Money.”

That said, the CDT’s stated goal of protecting consumers is one that we absolutely support. And while truly deceptive and value-empty software applications are all over the Internet, 180solutions takes substantial steps to notify consumers as to what our software does and how it works: 

• Before installing our programs, users are provided with plain language disclosures as to what our programs are and how they work, in addition to a complete End User License Agreement and link to our Privacy Policy. Our policy is that the user must opt-in (consent) to the download before the install of our software will initiate;

• We notify every user who downloads our programs with a post-install confirmation message, complete with a link for more information, including uninstall instructions;

• Within 72 hours of downloading our programs, users receive a reminder that they have installed our programs, which includes information about how our programs work along with uninstall information;

• 90 days after install, and every 90 days after that, users are sent an additional reminder that they have our programs, including information as to how the programs work and uninstall instructions;

• Upon download, our programs provide a system tray icon from which the user can access program information, customer support and uninstall instructions;

• The user can access further information about our programs through the “Start / All Programs” menu, including direct links to customer support and uninstall instructions;

• Delivered ads are labeled as coming from our programs and provide a link to further program information and uninstall instructions; and

• Uninstallation of our programs can always be done through the Add/Remove Programs function.

Is there any way one can honestly say that our users are somehow being “duped” in the download process, or even thereafter? Not when the facts are examined.

Tens of thousands of consumers every day make the informed choice that the trade-off of targeted, time-shifted advertising is worthwhile in exchange for free access to our catalog of premium content, including games, videos, music, software downloads and special, restricted-access areas of popular websites. At last count, a Zango-enabled user has access to over 10,000 different pieces of content on thousands of different websites.

Advertiser support pays for that content (just like on network TV). Advertisers themselves clearly would not continue to spend those dollars if consumers didn’t embrace the basic value proposition. An interesting note is that, in its report, the CDT favorably mentions “[t]he recently established ITSA policy” – ITSA is the Interactive Travel Services Association, a Washington, D.C.-area travel industry trade group. ITSA’s policy specifically “allows advertising . . . with adware vendors that follow best practices in installation of adware, labeling of ads, and uninstall capabilities.”

That’s worth repeating: ITSA’s policy specifically “allows advertising . . . with adware vendors that follow best practices in installation of adware, labeling of ads, and uninstall capabilities.”

The steps outlined above are best practices and we enthusiastically endorse the ITSA guidelines (see our press release for further information on our support of these standards). As ITSA and the CDT both explicitly recognize, advertising with the right adware company is a great decision across the board. Our users, advertisers, content providers, and publishers have long understood that fundamental truth.