Computer firms taking undeserved heat, As spyware problems mount, frustrated companies try to placate confused customers

AP Business Writer

SEATTLE - The people who call Dell Inc.'s customer service lineoften have no idea why their computers are running so slow. The oneswho call America Online Inc. can't necessarily explain why Internetconnections keep dropping. And those who file error reports withMicrosoft Corp. don't always know why their computers inexplicablycrash.

Sometimes, the company that gets the complaint is rightly toblame. But with alarming frequency, officials at these and othertechnology companies say they are tracing customer problems back toone culprit: spyware.

In the past year, spyware problems have become especiallypernicious, leaving companies scrambling to respond to customers whodon't necessarily realize they have spyware.

Companies are concerned about the cost of dealing with such calls.But perhaps more worrisome, they fear customers will wrongly blamethem.

Spyware generally refers to programs that land on computerswithout their owners' knowledge. They can deliver hordes of pop-upads, redirect people to unfamiliar search engines or, in rare cases,steal personal information.

Users most often get them by downloading free games or file-sharing software - and consenting to language buried deep within alicensing agreement.

And because they consented, "in some ways it ties our handsbecause we can't legally interfere," said Mike George, head of Dell'sU.S. consumer business.

Russ Cooper, senior scientist with TruSecure Corp., said alongstanding fear of legal repercussions is likely one reasoncompanies have only recently begun to address the problem.

But now that spyware has become epidemic, he believes Microsoftand other companies ought to do much more to educate the public -such as by running public-awareness commercials akin to the oldSmokey Bear slogan "Only you can prevent forest fires."

The industry's incentive is simple survival, Cooper said.

Microsoft officials blame unwanted software for up to one-third ofapplication crashes on Windows XP computers. AOL estimates that justthree such programs together cause some 300,000 Internetdisconnections per day.

Forrester Research analyst Jonathan Penn said a spyware-relatedsupport call can cost $15 to $45, and companies may lose business.

"Security is a component of loyalty," Penn said. "People, theywant all these various services, but they expect security to comewith it."

Some companies have begun offering spyware-detection tools - YahooInc.'s is free, while AOL and EarthLink Inc. limit key features topaid subscribers. Anti-spyware software that Hewlett-Packard beganshipping with new computers in June comes with a 30-day free trial;it's about $20 a year after that.

Most tools leave it to users to decide what to do with anyprograms found.

EarthLink's tool - and AOL's by default - will quarantine spywarewithout removing it completely. EarthLink spokesman Jerry Grasso saidsome users may decide that having spyware is worth the nuisance inexchange for the free program that came with it.

Microsoft's Service Pack 2 security upgrade for Windows XP warnsusers of spyware and other unexpected programs before they areloaded. And the company plans spyware-specific tools to give usersmore control, said Paul Bryan, a director in the security, businessand technology unit.

Advertisers are responding, too. After using the criticizeddelivery methods for nearly two years, Verizon Communications Inc.suspended those campaigns in July.

"We realize it was being raised as a consumer issue," spokesmanJohn Bonomo said. "We wanted to make sure we were keeping with thetrust they place in us."