Spyware ? the ethics of covert software

Abstract

Many computer users are happy to be oblivious of the workings within the machine and yet on some level it is important to know what is occurring therein. This paper discusses an unusual type of surveillance software which may be installed in many computers. The strange aspect of this software is that it has often been downloaded and installed by the user, but without her knowledge. The software is mainly designed to collect information about the user of the computer and relay this information back to the software manufacturer. The download, installation, data collection and data transfer all take place within the users own computer but very seldom with the users knowledge. It is the intention of this paper to describe the technology involved and thereafter discuss how this new technology is affecting the online privacy debate. The paper continues to discuss the basis for legitimacy of technology and also the current level of technological deterrents available. The paper concludes with a comparison of two approaches at resolving the current problem, via legislation or the market approach.

Trust, privacy, and legal protection in the use of software with surreptitiously installed operations: An empirical evaluation

“…Previous research in cell 3 has addressed ethical and legal issues (Klang 2004;Sipior et al 2005;Stafford and Urbaczewski 2004), management and policy for spyware (Warkentin et al 2005), factors affecting adoption of antispyware software (Lee and Kozar 2005), and detection procedures and countermeasures (Forte 2005). Klang (2004) considered the unethical business practice of spyware and its effect on online privacy.…”

“…Klang (2004) considered the unethical business practice of spyware and its effect on online privacy. Since spyware is bundled into free software, the user has no opportunity to engage in price discussions.…”

“…If customers' perception of privacy issues is not taken seriously, customers will no longer deal with that company (Smith and Rupp 2004). While previous research on spyware has recognized the importance of trust (Awad and Fitzgerald 2005;Hu and Dinev 2005;Klang 2004;Lee and Kozar 2005;Shukla and Nah 2005), trust was not empirically evaluated.…”

“…Users' concerns about privacy have been addressed in research on spyware (Freeman and Urbaczewski 2005;Hu and Dinev 2005;Klang 2004;Lee and Kozar 2005;Poston et al 2004;Shukla and Nah 2005;Sipior et al 2005;Warkentin et al 2005;Zhang 2005). Privacy concerns were empirically found to outweigh the potential benefits of spyware and are more important than PC performance (Freeman and Urbaczewski 2005).…”

“…Recognizing the risk of harm to consumers (FTC 2004a), the FTC calls for software vendors and government regulatory agencies to formulate a response. Faced with the potential risks of privacy violations and degraded PC performance (Freeman and Urbaczewski 2005) and the deceptive behaviors of spyware (Awad and Fitzgerald 2005), trust (Awad and Fitzgerald 2005;Hu and Dinev 2005;Klang 2004; Lee and Kozar 2005) and trustworthiness (Shukla and Nah 2005) are recognized concerns of users. Indeed, user trust in the software source is recommended by the FTC as a litmus test in the decision to acquire software (FTC 2005).…”