Advertising Through Spyware -- After Promising To Stop
In January, the New York Attorney General announced an important step in the fight against spyware: Holding advertisers accountable for their payments to spyware vendors. In Assurances of Discontinuance, Cingular (now part of AT&T), Priceline, and Travelocity each agreed to cease use of spyware -- to require all marketing partners not to use advertising software that installs without disclosures and consent, that fails to label ads, or that fails to offer an easy procedure to uninstall. These requirements apply to ads purchased directly by Cingular, Priceline, and Travelocity, as well as to all marketing partners acting on their behalf.
Unfortunately, both Cingular and Travelocity have failed to sever their ties with spyware vendors.
http://www.benedelman.org/news/031407-1.html