For immediate release:
March 10, 2008
Contact:
Ari Schwartz
(202) 637-9800
Anti-Spyware Coalition Announces Anti-Spyware Product Testing Document for Public Comment
Washington, D.C.-- The Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC), an alliance of technology companies and public interest groups, has released for public comment a document that promises to help users and reviewers understand the complexities of anti-spyware product testing.
Anti-Spyware testing isn't a trivial task; various kinds of testing are often difficult to distinguish from one another. ASC's product testing document is intended to help promote transparency in testing. The document encourages testers and reviewers to clearly define the goals and methodologies of their testing.
"Public education is a large part of the ASC's mission, and improving the public understanding of anti-spyware product testing will help consumers make informed choices about their software," Ari Schwartz, Vice President of the Center for Democracy and Technology and leader of the ASC said, "In addition, public education makes it easier to interpret reviews and testing results."
The Testing Document will ASC's sixth published working report, it follows others aimed at achieving industry standards for definitions, risk and consent modeling, and best practices for authors of potentially unwanted technologies.
The ASC has will hold a public comment period on the draft definitions through April 4th. Information on how to post a comment is available on the ASC Web site at antispywarecoalition.org. Once the comment period ends, ASC members will release a report on the comments and incorporate them into the group's final document.
About the Anti-Spyware Coalition: The Anti-Spyware Coalition (ASC) is a group dedicated to building a consensus about definitions and best practices in the debate surrounding spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies. Composed of anti-spyware software companies, academics, and consumer groups, the ASC seeks to bring together a diverse array of perspective on the problem of controlling spyware and other potentially unwanted technologies.
