Authored by StopBadware.org

This application report reviews the My SHC Community software, an application that is installed for a subset of the users who register for the My SHC Community at myshccommunity.com. These users receive an invitation to install the software via e-mail and/or a popup window. Sears Holdings Corporation, which refers to itself as "SHC," is the parent company of Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart.

In this report, StopBadware found that the My SHC Community software is badware because it does not fully disclose the features and functionality of the application in accordance with our guidelines and because it does not clearly identify itself while installed and active.

We currently recommend that users do not install the version of My SHC Community software that we tested, unless the user is comfortable with the level of risk we identify or until the application is updated consistent with the recommendations in this report.

[Update: January 8, 2008 - Sears Holding Corporation (SHC) has informed StopBadware that SHC is significantly improving the My SHC Community application disclosure and privacy policy language and adding a Start menu icon in an effort to comply with our guidelines and address privacy concerns. They expect these changes to be implemented within 48 hours. We have not evaluated these planned changes at this time. SHC has also informed us that they have suspended invitations to new users to install the application until these changes are implemented.]

For the full text of this report, please visit http://www.stopbadware.org/reports/reportdisplay?reportname=myschcomm010...