As adware continues to annoy computer users, efforts to crack down on ad-serving software have begun to focus on the advertisers behind some of the pop-ups.

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, whose office has sued two major adware vendors, has threatened to come after advertisers. An affidavit filed last week with Mr. Spitzer's lawsuit against Internet marketer Direct Revenue named some large companies that continue to advertise through adware. (Direct Revenue, for its part, has said the case is "baseless" and focused on the company's past practices.) FTC Commissioner Jonathan Leibowitz recently proposed "shaming" companies that advertise through adware by publishing their names.

But what responsibility do advertisers have when it comes to adware? The Wall Street Journal Online asked Ari Schwartz, deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, and Eric Goldman, a law professor at Marquette University, to discuss the ethical issues and legal risks. Their exchange, carried out over email, is below.



Posted by: Jim    Source