TrendMicro and McAfee considered dangerous?

[Alann1]

I recently updated Spybot and ran it. While it was running, a hint or tip popped up in which TrendMicro and McAfee were referenced as being potentially dangerous spyware. Why?

Thanks.
Alenz

[spybotsandra]

Hello,

Trend Micro and McAfee create antivirus software which, according to the ASC's definition, might be regarded as spyware or PUPS (defined as "Technologies [...] implemented in ways that impair user control over [...] Material changes that affect their [...] system security"). Trend Micro forces users to uninstall Spybot-S&D because of alleged incompatibilities, satisfying this condition.

We could not reproduce any incompatibilities that would justify the uninstallation, and can only assume that this is a poor case of unfair competition.

If you were forced by Trend Micro to uninstall Spybot-S&D, you can just reinstall it after Trend Micros product installation has finished.

Anti-Spyware Coalition Definitions Document (http://antispywarecoalition.org/documents/2007definitions.htm)

Best regards
Sandra
Team Spybot

[Yodama]

In other words McAfee and Trend Micro care more about market shares than anything else. To reach more market shares they are willing to reduce the security measures on computers. As proper security vendors they know that a diversity of security software is better than concentrating on only one software.

[Alann1]

Thanks Spybotsandra and Yodama

Perhaps "responding in kind" is not always the best way to confront a business which is using unfair business practices. This simply makes Spybot look like they are party to bickering. What would be more useful for me as a regular user of spybot, is that an explanation like the one you've given in this thread to appear in the tip which pops up, i.e. that Trend Micro improperly identifies Spybot in a similar way to a "False Positive" of sorts, and it may ask you to uninstall it. Additionally, it's possible to write to Trend Micro yourselves as well as asking your many many long-time supporters to write to Trend Micro and confront them directly. Spybot has no problem with its value as a tool and has been constantly verified as one of the tools most highly recommended by all the malware removal forums, so Trend Micro doesn't have a prayer in any efforts they make to suggest to the public that Spybot needs to be removed. I personally think a direct confrontation with them would be more useful and a simple note to Trend Micro users who are running Spybot to ignore any warnings Trend Micro may give them to uninstall Spybot.

As for McAfee, I can't imagine it impairs user control more than Nortons does. However, I will read the documentation you make reference to.

Thanks for your information.
Alenz

[PepiMK]

We've written to Trend Micro, Kaspersky, McAfee... all are not at all willing to even name incompatibilities.

With letters from other users, we had quite bad experiences when the same situation happened with Symantec. Those users received answers telling them, no exaggeration, that "Patrick Kolla is known in his neighbourhood as an asshole" etc.

As for usefullness of the hints, the problem is to put all that into such a short text ;)

And Spybots value as a tool is directly affected - thousands of uninstallations every day do affect donations and corporate version sales.

The only direct confrontation that is left is through court, and that we are pursuing, but the legal road is such an annoyingly long one and seems to take forever :rolleyes:

[Alann1]

hmmmm .... that is a pain, indeed!

I appreciate your product a lot and find it ironic, that the antivirus companies only jumped on the spyware/adware bandwagon long after you guys were already long in this business.

Good luck!

[vtrandal]

This thread is old, but I hope it is still open for discussion.

I would like to know the current situation regarding unfair and malicious competitors of Safer-Networking. I downloaded and installed the excellent Spybot S&D software. So that's a good sign Safer-Networking is surviving.

I am strongly motivated to get involved and help Safer-Networking win against unfair and malicious competitors like Trend Micro, McAfee, Kaspersky, etc. At the very least I can make a small donation - private single user.

To all the wonderful people at Safer-Networking, please keep up the good work! I hope your best years are yet to come!

Vincent Randal
Longmont, Colorado
USA