Click-thru licenses on software are an annoyance. Nobody reads them. The only thing they read is which button they need to click on — “Yes” or “OK” or “I accept” — so they can finish up installing whatever it is they want.
Problem is, that means you accept whatever is in there, and basically give them permission to do whatever they want to your computer, no more questions asked.
Which may be problematic but likely not too bad a thing when you’re talking about the latest gammaware from Micro$oft, but quite another when you are accepting a license from FriendGreetings, and the agreement allows their software to send an e-mail out to everyone in your contact list, inviting them to join FriendGreetings, too.
Of course, that provision is hidden away in the lengthy license, but, hey, you “signed” it, right?
The most insidious aspect to this is that, because you agreed to it, the anti-virus software manufacturers need to be very, very careful about their reaction to it. Folks are clamoring for Symantec and Network Associates to upgrade their software to block this “Trojan Horse,” but the AV companies know that they could get sued by FriendGreetings if they are too vigorous in their efforts to block what is, technically, a legitimate, user-accepted piece of software.
The bottom line? Don’t accept software downloads that you are not certain of, or where you don’t know the company involved. That seems obvious, but with click-through licenses reaching the level of background noise, it’s a caution worth restating at least one more time.