I have been trying out EULAlyzer 2.0 from Javacool Software for a couple of months and have found the results to be interesting to say the least. EULAyzer scans the software publishers’ End User License Agreements (EULA) for privacy risks, unwanted software, and other surprises like pop-up ads, sending personally identifiable information, or using unique identifiers to track the user’s activity.
EULA
lyzer searches the publishers’ documents for what the vendor calls “words of interest” and then assigns its “Interest Rating” to the program. Like other anti-spyware programs, EULAlyzer ranks risks on a scale of 1 to 10 based on how crucial the disclosed information can be to the user’s security based on suspicious wording. The product also includes a search function that can be used to perform user-specific keyword searches of the entire EULA.
The copy and paste function can be used to quickly find suspicious parts of web-based license agreements, website terms, privacy policies, and other similar documents. By default the program scans for language that deals with:
- Advertising
- Tracking
- Data Collection
- Privacy-Related Concerns
- Installation of Third-Party / Additional Software
- Inclusion of External Agreements By Reference
EULAlyzer leverages the power of crowdsourcing through a related EULA Research Center, which optionally allows users to anonymously submit license agreements they scan to enlarge the underlying database of EULA’s and further improve the program. There is also a web forum available to provide support on the application.
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EULAlyzer is a proactive tool in the fight against malware. In the enterprise, this tool can be used by those responsible for developing and maintaining disk images. It can also be used by the compliance staff to quickly flag potential issues and pass them up the line to SME or the legal department.
EULAlyzer is no substitute for reading the EULA. We all know that the EULA should be read and understood before proceeding with any software installation. What EULAlyzer does is save time and effort by flagging the most onerous parts of a EULA for your review to focus on potentially riskier behavior.
I found EULAlyzer interesting and effective. It made me realize the lengths that software manufacturers go to hide the details of the EULA. The EULA’s are buried deep down in sub-sub-sub directories, cryptically named and/or huge. The web-based EULA for Adobe Acrobat Reader is part of a 282 page PDF.
As for the application itself, I would like to see better explanations of the items the program flags, either through an in-depth help file or a web-based resource.
EULAlyzer is a donation-ware application that is free for personal and educational uses (there is a corporate version also available ) Compatible with: Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista.
NOTE: This blog does not provide legal advice. It can only highlight information that you may want to consider before making your own decisions to proceed or not. You should always consult a lawyer (or other competent authority) for advice on legal issues.
Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.
