Google is looking for feedback on a standard they want to submit which will help "tackle" or fight dubiously installed software on your system - spyware. Clearly a cynical standpoint can be taken here; Google fights back at privacy advocates by highlighting how much good work they are doing for user privacy. However, on the other perspective you can see it as a good company doing good work for its users. Either way you look at it, it is a good measure and with Google's backing and name behind it we could see it having widespread adoption.

"At Google, we put a lot of thought into improving your online experience. We're alarmed by what we believe is a growing disregard for your rights as computer users. We've seen increasing reports of spyware and other applications that trick you in order to serve you pop-up ads, connect your modem to expensive toll numbers or hijack your browser from the site you're trying to visit.

We do not see this trend reversing itself. In fact, it is getting worse. As a provider of services and monetization for users, advertisers and publishers on the Internet, we feel a responsibility to be proactive about these issues. So, we have decided to take action. As a first step, we have outlined a set of principles we believe our industry should adopt and we're sharing them to foster discussion and help solve the problem. We intend to follow these guidelines ourselves with the applications we distribute (such as the Google Toolbar and Google Deskbar). And because we strongly believe these principles are good for the industry and users worldwide, we will encourage our current and prospective business partners to adopt them as well.

These guidelines are, by necessity, broad. Software creation and distribution are complex and the technology is continuously evolving. As a result, some useful applications may not comply entirely with these principles and some deceptive practices may not be addressed here. This document is only a start, and focuses on the areas of Internet software and advertising. These guidelines need to be continually updated to keep pace with ever-changing technology."

View: The Document / proposal (brief but to the point)
News source: The Official Google Blog

FROM: Varies (forged addresses taken from infected system).
SUBJECT: Re: (original subject)
BODY: Varies.
ATTACHMENT: The worm may be attached with one of the following file extensions:
  • EXE
  • SCR
  • PIF
  • CMD
  • BAT
When replying to unread Outlook or Outlook Express messages, the worm may be attached with a variety of filenames. Examples:
  • the hardcore game-.pif
  • Sex in Office.rm.scr
  • Deutsch BloodPatch!.exe



There are 12 additional comments
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Quote this comment Reply to this comment #1 Posted by Neobond on 20 May 2004 - 08:59
Neobond says:
theres no end to Googles kindness
Tom says:
heh
Neobond says:
people will want to name their kids Google soon
Tom says:
a nice company
Tom says:
or larry / sergey
(2 replies) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #2 Posted by Maxious on 20 May 2004 - 09:14
my suggestion is hit spyware makers hard! unlist their sites(makers not desperate coders who were blackmailed into spyware) from the search engine, block their programs through google toolbar, start a campaign through the google front page (obviously don't bloat it but have "What is spyware and how Google suggests you stop it!" near the bottom)

google has the power to do good in this world!
Quote this comment #2.1 Posted by vetMr magoo on 20 May 2004 - 09:45
I don't want them to set a precedent where they start removing sites from index without legal take down orders (i.e. DMCA requests). It sets a future standard which IMO is not a good idea.
Quote this comment #2.2 Posted by markjensen on 20 May 2004 - 12:11
The definition of "spyware" is too gray...

Is placing a cookie considered "spying"?
Or accessing the "referring site" feature that every web browser sends?

Some examples are obvious. Some are not obvious. And some are not spying (although some people will insist that it is).
(2 replies) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #3 Posted by Smeg on 20 May 2004 - 10:19
I love Google, but I hope they are not overstepping their boots, they seem to be expanding into everything now, and I sure hope that if they get into the Anti-Spyware market now, that they don't become an independant Anti-spyware vendor, but instead an organisation that catelogues spyware patterns for use with other Anti-spyware applications too (ie: AdAdware and Spybot). It's just not fair on these smalltime vendors if Google makes something to replace them.
Quote this comment #3.1 Posted by alister on 20 May 2004 - 13:45
Why not, that is called competition? If Google makes an anti-spyware program, it will give the others some competition and maybe we will see some better products come from this...

Alister
Quote this comment #3.2 Posted by jkrupa128 on 20 May 2004 - 19:12
AdAware and Spybot can just do what all the other software companies in the world do...LAWSUIT!!!
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #4 Posted by DWZ on 20 May 2004 - 14:14
OK, so I've just read their guidelines, sure, they sound good, but how is it going to work?

Are the makers of spyware going to read this and go, "oh, that's a good idea, I never thought of asking my users if I they would like me to track their usage on the Internet and place porn popups on their screen and change their homepage... I just assumed everyone wanted that..."

I mean, come on... The makers of spyware deliberately try and make it all done in secret, so the user does not know it's there... why all of a sudden after Google's announcement will they change their mind?
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #5 Posted by cracell~ on 20 May 2004 - 14:44
ya, so wut google your gonna make something like adaware?, I mean it not like these companies don't know it's wrong

Evil Comp. CEO: Hey let's have a program install on users systems without them knowing and tell us about everything they do
Lackey: There's nothing wrong with that
Evil Comp. CEO: Good, now I don't feel guilty
Google: Your Bad
Evil Comp. CEO: ::moons google::
Google: Nasty, I'm out
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #6 Posted by SniperX on 20 May 2004 - 14:54
The more cynical among us might be forgiven for thinking that it would serve Google well to lessen the spyware software installs so that greater concentration is given to their own ads, which will be served in the not too distant future.

Course, as I say, that's for the less cynical. I think they're just really interested in the well-being of mankind and possibly adopt an orphan each day too.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #7 Posted by Tyler Durden on 20 May 2004 - 18:40
i think they should focus more on ridding their own engine of those search robot websites that clutter up the 1st page of most google searches before trying to rid they world of spyware.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #8 Posted by AustinM1983 on 21 May 2004 - 06:53
i want to see a google messenger....to go with there introduction to the other fields.... maybe something that will whipe msn off the map and give us access to other chat services i.e. trillion.
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