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WhenU, Aluria Software and Me

WhenU and Aluria continue to stir up controversy and this time it is over Aluria’s decision to certify programs as being “spyware free”. Recently Aluria ratified WhenU was spyware free, but since then alarming evidence has come into play showing distribution methods that take the form of browser exploits.

An OPEN LETTER has been written for Aluria to answer and there are some pretty tough questions. I eagerly await their response but the plot thickens…

I myself was caught up in this maelstrom when an affiliate site accussed me of lieing about Aluria Software’s old privacy policy and Aluria sent me a shiny, new Cease & Desist Letter.

However other security and legal analysts seem to agree with my analysis and the factual basis of my article as it can be seen in the Web Archive. Thank goodness for the Web Archive!

Readers should see the CastleCops story for more. Rest assured there is more to follow.
The real fascinating aspect of this story is how can an anti-spyware company certify any company as “spyware free” when they are indeed partnered with and sharing revenue with the company through pop-up ads? The same company who has lost spyware legislation in the past, and by some accounts they or their affiliates are using exploits to install their software NOW.

Good questions and hopefully we will have those answers from Aluria’s CEO if steps up and takes on the Open Letter at CastleCops.

Here are the list of questions:

So outside of Aluria’s control we are presenting Aluria with a set of questions in the hopes that they will be answered. We’re certain these questions do not cover everything and more will come up, but this is a start. Aluria’s product is called Spyware Eliminator, which costs money to clean your system.

1. What are your thoughts on the Aluria and WhenU arrangement?
2. Do you think this puts Aluria’s reputation (along with COAST) in jeopardy?
3. Who profits from its software being bundled in WhenU distributions?
4. Will the software target the removal of competing anti-spyware/adware solutions?
5. Why does Aluria work with WhenU when other security companies describe them as spyware/adware?
6. How can Aluria be an objective security company when it is partnered with a known offender?
7. Andrew Clover has provided details at the Aluria Forums, why is he ignored?
8. Will you be marketing your products and advertising when consumers call your anti-spyware hotline for help?
9. Any comments on WhenU being linked to SP2fucked?
10. How can the ‘Spyware Safe’ program be reputable when well known companies like Symantec label WhenU bad?
11. Does Aluria consider the use of Installers which doesn’t clearly indicate all the software being installed on a system a legitimate and ethical practice?
12. How can Aluria claim that WhenU is spyware safe when it is bundled with known spyware products?
13. Do you condone AdwareReport for suggesting SpywareGuide lied?
14. Did you send a cease and desist order to SpywareGuide when clearly their comments reflected your privacy policy in complete accuracy as shown by Web Archive?
15. Is Aluria hoping to profit from the 80 million people Avi Nader has previously declared have WhenU installed on their systems, even though over 70% of those people aren’t aware of how the software got there, and wish to remove the software once they are aware of it’s presence?
16. How does this WhenU partnership and public scepticism reflect on your partnership with AOL in delivering Spyware Eliminator to its dial-up members?
17. AOL is offering SpyZapper in its 9.0 release. Has AOL dropped Aluria?
18. How do you feel about being delisted on security sites and therefore losing faith in the public eye?
19. So by delisting WhenU, will user’s using Aluria Spyware Eliminator receive no notification or deletion of older versions of WhenU?

It is our hope that Aluria will answer these questions and begin to work with other professionals in the industry again. Certainly their choices lately have received a lot of debate. Why wouldn’t it? One day Aluria is fighting WhenU and going after them, the next day Aluria is their friend and bundling their anti-spyware product with WhenU. Can Aluria save face?

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