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.
History
Formed in 2005, The ASC filled the void left by the dissolution of the Consortium of Anti-Spyware Technology Vendors (COAST) which broke up over internal dissent. The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), a non-profit public policy organization, spearheaded the movement in April 2005 when Ari Schwartz called together the initial group of Anti-Spyware companies.
The group gathered momentum by adding more members and started to build consensus by authoring a series of documents within the coalition, and then soliciting feedback from the community at large. The first set of documents consisted of a definition of Spyware (and potentially unwanted technologies) and a vendor dispute resolution process. This was followed by a "Risk Model" that provides Anti-Spyware vendors with a framework for classifying software. Most recently, in March 2007 the ASC published their public final draft of their long awaited Best Practices document.
Members
As of March, 2007, the ASC members are:
- Aluria Software , an Earthlink company
- AhnLab
- AOL
- Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law School
- Bit9
- Blue Coat Systems
- Canadian Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email
- US Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email
- Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic
- Center for Democracy and Technology
- CNET Networks
- Computer Associates
- Dell, Inc.
- Eset
- F-Secure Corporation
- Grisoft
- HP
- ICSA Labs
- Internet Education Foundation
- ISS
- Lavasoft
- McAfee Inc.
- Mi5 Networks
- Microsoft
- National Center for Victims of Crime
- National Cyber Security Alliance
- National Network to End Domestic Violence
- Panda Software
- PC Tools
- Radialpoint
- Safer-Networking Ltd.
- Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic at Boalt Hall,
- UC Berkeley School of Law
- Sana Security
- Shavlik Technologies
- Sophos
- Spamhaus
- Sunbelt Software
- SurfControl
- Symantec
- Tenebril
- Trend Micro
- Webroot Software
- Websense
- Yahoo! Inc.