It detects and offers to remove certain software programs that users may not know they have, or may not want on their PCs. ParetoLogic assesses programs based on the programs' direct and indirect effe
October 30, 2006 (Press Release) --
ParetoLogic aims to err on the side of user choice. ParetoLogic therefore alerts users to programs that may be of concern, anticipating that some users will choose to retain some programs that ParetoLogic detects. If a program is likely to be unwanted by some ParetoLogic customers, ParetoLogic seeks to alert all its users to that program's presence, so each user can decide for him or herself whether to keep that program installed.
Of the programs ParetoLogic evaluates, few display all or even most of the criteria set out below. But where a program matches these criteria, whether individually or in combination, Pareto's experience is that users generally want to be alerted to the program's presence and want to be offered an additional opportunity and means to remove it. A program need only match one of the specified criteria in order to be included in Pareto's listings and detected by ParetoLogic software.
Notwithstanding the criteria set out below, ParetoLogic staff also make professional decisions as to the programs they evaluate. Some programs are omitted from detection lists based on their context, motive, and source. For example, many security programs block access to certain web sites and block the installation of certain programs. These blocking behaviors might ordinarily seem to satisfy Pareto's detection criteria. But where these programs are installed solely at a user's specific request, and where their actions are only those reasonably necessary to implement their security features, ParetoLogic does not classify such programs as potentially unwanted.
Because the behaviors of unwanted software programs change frequently, ParetoLogic may change these criteria from time to time.
In evaluating programs for possible detection, ParetoLogic considers the following characteristics:
Installation, Notice, and Consent
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs with installation practices suggesting that users may not in fact want such programs. Installation practices raising these concerns include:
Installing without any notice or consent at all. For example, installing through security holes in other software on a user's PC.
Installing when users are performing some other task, where such software is not reasonably necessary to complete the intended task. For example, installing via ActiveX popups as users browse unrelated web sites.
Installing without providing a general description of purpose and effects.
Installing without providing a statement of source (e.g. company name and URL).
Becoming installed by other software in a “bundle.” For example, installing through a bundle where users request one program but receive one or more others that are functionally unrelated.
Soliciting installations via aggressive, misleading, or deceptive statements, including vacuous statements or statements made without specific knowledge of their truth or falsity. For example, claiming “your computer may already be infected.”
Paying for installations through a pay-per-installation affiliate network with a documented history of installations using one or more of the methods listed above.
When evaluating the installation criteria described above, ParetoLogic considers not only the behaviors of the software provider itself, but also the behaviors of those affiliates and distributors who receive payment for installing the provider's software onto users' PCs.
License Provisions
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs with certain license provisions giving rise to potential user concerns. License provisions raising these concerns include:
Claiming the right to install other software on a user's computer, other than at the user's specific request and other than that reasonably necessary to update the requested software.
Claiming the right to disable, block, or remove other software on a user's computer, including “competing” software or security software.
Claiming the right to use a user's computer for the software provider's own purposes without benefit to the user. For example, claiming the right to use a user's computer for distributed computing or distributed storage.
Imposing restrictions on “authorized” methods of removal.
System Configuration
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs that make certain changes to a user's system configuration. Configuration changes raising these concerns include:
Changing a user's browser home page, default search engine, error page, or other browser preferences, other than at a user's specific request.
Preventing a user from taking reasonable steps to change browser home page, default search engine, error page, or other browser preferences.
Adding a web browser toolbar, other than at a user's specific request.
Modifying a user's Internet connection settings to block access to certain hosts or web sites, other than at a user's specific request.
Routing a user's Internet traffic through a particular intermediary, other than at a user's specific request.
Causing a user's computer to dial premium or international phone numbers.
Disabling, reconfiguring, or bypassing privacy or security programs.
Disabling, blocking, or removing other software on a user's computer, including “competing” software.
Using a user's computer for the software provider's own purposes without benefit to the user. For example, using a user's computer for distributed computing or distributed storage.
Hiding key operating system features. For example, hiding the icons for Control Panel or for System Restore.
Data Transmission and Privacy
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs that record, track, and/or transmit certain data about users and their actions. Actions raising these concerns include:
Collecting or using personally identifiable information from users or their computers, except where reasonably necessary to achieve a program's core purpose and where users specifically provide this information to the program.
Collecting or using information as to a user's Internet connection and Internet use, other than to diagnose technical difficulties, except at a user's specific request.
Collecting or using information obtained from or provided by a user in a way that reasonable users would find objectionable, unfair, or deceptive.
Collecting or using information from encrypted communications, or breaking or deciphering encrypted communications.
Computer Performance, Reliability, and User Experience
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs that can slow down a user's PC or make a user's PC less reliable. Practices raising these concerns include:
Causing a substantial reduction in performance.
Using excessive bandwidth.
Reducing reliability, e.g. by causing crashes.
Causing incompatibilities or adversely affecting other programs.
Malware
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs that can harm a user's PC or other PCs. Practices raising these concerns include:
Installing worms, trojan horses, or other code that can automatically propagate to other PCs without notice or consent.
Allowing third parties to remotely control a user's PC. For example, “backdoors” and “rootkits.”
Allowing third parties to send mail using a user's PC. For example, “spam bots.”
Infecting data or program files on a user's PC with a virus.
Deleting user data files or program files.
Advertising
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs that show advertising in ways particularly likely to harm, inconvenience, interrupt, or annoy users. Practices raising these concerns include:
Displaying advertising likely to interrupt or annoy. For example, displaying pop-up advertising or opening new browser windows.
Displaying advertising without attribution and removal instructions. For example, displaying advertising without clear and conspicuous listing of the program providing such advertising. For example, displaying advertising without a button or link by which users can learn more about the advertising, including how to stop such ads from appearing. For example, shows one web site when a user requests another.
Displaying advertising that users cannot readily control. For example, displaying any full-screen advertisement without the usual operating system elements (e.g. an “X” button in the upper-right corner). For example, displaying any advertisement that a user cannot readily and immediately close or remove. For example, displaying any advertisement that, when closed or removed by a user, opens another advertisement. For example, shows one web site when a user requests another.
For programs delivered in a bundle, displaying advertising even when a user is not using the bundled program the user had requested (if any).
Adding third-party advertisements to a user's desktop, start menu, favorites, or other operating system listings. For example, adding icons for web sites (other than the software maker's own web site) to a user's desktop.
Modifies, obscures, or blocks the contents of requested web sites, except at a user's specific request.
Removal
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs with removal practices and procedures that deter or discourage users from removing programs via ordinary methods. Practices raising these concerns include:
Failing to offer an uninstall program at all.
Failing to provide an uninstall program that users can reasonably locate. For example, failure to place an uninstall program in the ordinary listing used for this purpose (i.e.. Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs). For example, failure to label a Control Panel Add/Remove entry with the ordinary name by which a program is known.
Requiring that users obtain a separate uninstall program from a web site.
Requiring that users be connected to the Internet in order to uninstall.
Including an uninstall
Of the programs ParetoLogic evaluates, few display all or even most of the criteria set out below. But where a program matches these criteria, whether individually or in combination, Pareto's experience is that users generally want to be alerted to the program's presence and want to be offered an additional opportunity and means to remove it. A program need only match one of the specified criteria in order to be included in Pareto's listings and detected by ParetoLogic software.
Notwithstanding the criteria set out below, ParetoLogic staff also make professional decisions as to the programs they evaluate. Some programs are omitted from detection lists based on their context, motive, and source. For example, many security programs block access to certain web sites and block the installation of certain programs. These blocking behaviors might ordinarily seem to satisfy Pareto's detection criteria. But where these programs are installed solely at a user's specific request, and where their actions are only those reasonably necessary to implement their security features, ParetoLogic does not classify such programs as potentially unwanted.
Because the behaviors of unwanted software programs change frequently, ParetoLogic may change these criteria from time to time.
In evaluating programs for possible detection, ParetoLogic considers the following characteristics:
Installation, Notice, and Consent
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs with installation practices suggesting that users may not in fact want such programs. Installation practices raising these concerns include:
Installing without any notice or consent at all. For example, installing through security holes in other software on a user's PC.
Installing when users are performing some other task, where such software is not reasonably necessary to complete the intended task. For example, installing via ActiveX popups as users browse unrelated web sites.
Installing without providing a general description of purpose and effects.
Installing without providing a statement of source (e.g. company name and URL).
Becoming installed by other software in a “bundle.” For example, installing through a bundle where users request one program but receive one or more others that are functionally unrelated.
Soliciting installations via aggressive, misleading, or deceptive statements, including vacuous statements or statements made without specific knowledge of their truth or falsity. For example, claiming “your computer may already be infected.”
Paying for installations through a pay-per-installation affiliate network with a documented history of installations using one or more of the methods listed above.
When evaluating the installation criteria described above, ParetoLogic considers not only the behaviors of the software provider itself, but also the behaviors of those affiliates and distributors who receive payment for installing the provider's software onto users' PCs.
License Provisions
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs with certain license provisions giving rise to potential user concerns. License provisions raising these concerns include:
Claiming the right to install other software on a user's computer, other than at the user's specific request and other than that reasonably necessary to update the requested software.
Claiming the right to disable, block, or remove other software on a user's computer, including “competing” software or security software.
Claiming the right to use a user's computer for the software provider's own purposes without benefit to the user. For example, claiming the right to use a user's computer for distributed computing or distributed storage.
Imposing restrictions on “authorized” methods of removal.
System Configuration
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs that make certain changes to a user's system configuration. Configuration changes raising these concerns include:
Changing a user's browser home page, default search engine, error page, or other browser preferences, other than at a user's specific request.
Preventing a user from taking reasonable steps to change browser home page, default search engine, error page, or other browser preferences.
Adding a web browser toolbar, other than at a user's specific request.
Modifying a user's Internet connection settings to block access to certain hosts or web sites, other than at a user's specific request.
Routing a user's Internet traffic through a particular intermediary, other than at a user's specific request.
Causing a user's computer to dial premium or international phone numbers.
Disabling, reconfiguring, or bypassing privacy or security programs.
Disabling, blocking, or removing other software on a user's computer, including “competing” software.
Using a user's computer for the software provider's own purposes without benefit to the user. For example, using a user's computer for distributed computing or distributed storage.
Hiding key operating system features. For example, hiding the icons for Control Panel or for System Restore.
Data Transmission and Privacy
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs that record, track, and/or transmit certain data about users and their actions. Actions raising these concerns include:
Collecting or using personally identifiable information from users or their computers, except where reasonably necessary to achieve a program's core purpose and where users specifically provide this information to the program.
Collecting or using information as to a user's Internet connection and Internet use, other than to diagnose technical difficulties, except at a user's specific request.
Collecting or using information obtained from or provided by a user in a way that reasonable users would find objectionable, unfair, or deceptive.
Collecting or using information from encrypted communications, or breaking or deciphering encrypted communications.
Computer Performance, Reliability, and User Experience
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs that can slow down a user's PC or make a user's PC less reliable. Practices raising these concerns include:
Causing a substantial reduction in performance.
Using excessive bandwidth.
Reducing reliability, e.g. by causing crashes.
Causing incompatibilities or adversely affecting other programs.
Malware
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs that can harm a user's PC or other PCs. Practices raising these concerns include:
Installing worms, trojan horses, or other code that can automatically propagate to other PCs without notice or consent.
Allowing third parties to remotely control a user's PC. For example, “backdoors” and “rootkits.”
Allowing third parties to send mail using a user's PC. For example, “spam bots.”
Infecting data or program files on a user's PC with a virus.
Deleting user data files or program files.
Advertising
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs that show advertising in ways particularly likely to harm, inconvenience, interrupt, or annoy users. Practices raising these concerns include:
Displaying advertising likely to interrupt or annoy. For example, displaying pop-up advertising or opening new browser windows.
Displaying advertising without attribution and removal instructions. For example, displaying advertising without clear and conspicuous listing of the program providing such advertising. For example, displaying advertising without a button or link by which users can learn more about the advertising, including how to stop such ads from appearing. For example, shows one web site when a user requests another.
Displaying advertising that users cannot readily control. For example, displaying any full-screen advertisement without the usual operating system elements (e.g. an “X” button in the upper-right corner). For example, displaying any advertisement that a user cannot readily and immediately close or remove. For example, displaying any advertisement that, when closed or removed by a user, opens another advertisement. For example, shows one web site when a user requests another.
For programs delivered in a bundle, displaying advertising even when a user is not using the bundled program the user had requested (if any).
Adding third-party advertisements to a user's desktop, start menu, favorites, or other operating system listings. For example, adding icons for web sites (other than the software maker's own web site) to a user's desktop.
Modifies, obscures, or blocks the contents of requested web sites, except at a user's specific request.
Removal
ParetoLogic detects and offers to remove software programs with removal practices and procedures that deter or discourage users from removing programs via ordinary methods. Practices raising these concerns include:
Failing to offer an uninstall program at all.
Failing to provide an uninstall program that users can reasonably locate. For example, failure to place an uninstall program in the ordinary listing used for this purpose (i.e.. Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs). For example, failure to label a Control Panel Add/Remove entry with the ordinary name by which a program is known.
Requiring that users obtain a separate uninstall program from a web site.
Requiring that users be connected to the Internet in order to uninstall.
Including an uninstall
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