Four Internet giants forge alliance to counter 'badware'
updated 08:53 pm EDT, Sun June 17, 2012
Google, AOL, Facebook, Twitter to share data, combat threat
AOL, Google, Facebook, and Twitter have joined an alliance that was born to counter malicious ads, including malware gateways, ads for scams, and sale links to counterfeit goods. Nonprofit StopBadware, the 6-year-old promoters of the alliance, hosts a clearing house which lists identified websites containing the "bad ware" links.
"No individual business or law enforcement agency can single-handedly eliminate these bad actors from the entire web," says Eric Davis, Google's global public policy manager. In 2011, Google shut down more than 130 million ads and 800,000 advertisers that violated Google's safe surfing policies.
The newly formed Ads Integrity Alliance includes the four Internet behemoths plus the Interactive Advertising Bureau. The alliance intends to further StopBadware's agenda, including but not limited to developing and sharing definitions, industry policy recommendations, and best practices; serving as a platform for sharing information about bad actors; and sharing relevant trends with policymakers and law enforcement agencies.
StopBadware began in 2006 as a project of Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society before launching as a non-profit organization in 2010. Other partners in the effort include Verizon, Mozilla, PayPal, Verisign, and Qualys.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2000
"6-year-old promoters"
They're quite mature 6 year olds :-)