Vomba Networks First to Leave Trusted Download Whitelist
June 11th, 2007
TRUSTe has successfully certified twelve software applications in the Trusted Download Program Beta to date, and a dozen more are in the process of certification. Over the past few months the focus of the Beta program has moved from certifying software to monitoring the distribution networks of certified software.
As applications enter and leave the whitelist for either voluntarily or through investigation and compliance actions, TRUSTe will notate the additions and departures through the TRUSTe blog to provide additional detail to interested parties. This is the first notice on withdrawal of a software application from the whitelist.
Vomba 1.2.0.1 is no longer listed in the whitelist and its distribution and technical operation are no longer monitored by TRUSTe.
TRUSTe certified the software application Vomba 1.2.0.1 and placed the application on the whitelist in provisional status in February. In order for any covered advertising or covered tracking application to maintain certification status they must also certify their distribution partners and subject those partners to TRUSTe monitoring on an ongoing basis.
Vomba began rolling out its distribution network after certification, and always communicated in good faith with TRUSTe during the planning and initial deployment phases of the network. Unfortunately, as Vomba considered scaling their distribution network, they decided that the cost associated with maintaining that network within the Trusted Download Program Beta were not consistent with their financial objectives.Vomba was additionally exploring new and creative distribution methods, particularly in the peer-to-peer market. Vomba would have been required to discontinue this approach.
TRUSTe was actively engaged in an exploration into the level of separation between Vomba and another entity under the corporate umbrella. We ultimately did not reach a conclusion on this matter, but were in the process of requiring additional process and further certifications of Vomba’s corporate neighbors, given the lack of clarity on boundaries.
To be clear, TRUSTe did not embark on an enforcement process with Vomba. Vomba has made a business decision that they no longer want to make the financial commitment to maintain certification, with the cost of their growing distribution network playing a primary role.
Posted by: Colin O’Malley
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