San Francisco and Chicago – eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY; www.ebay.com) and TRUSTe today announced that they will partner to raise awareness of best practices surrounding downloadable software through the use of standards set forth by TRUSTe’s Trusted Download Program. Already a certified TRUSTe Web privacy seal holder, eBay will go further and adopt TRUSTe’s Trusted Download Program certification for downloadable applications and provide incentives for members of the eBay Developers Program to do the same.

TRUSTe will offer members of the eBay Developers Program discounts to obtain Trusted Download Program certification. This partnership will ensure that downloadable software used in association with eBay is consistent with industry best practices for informed consumer choice, overall software behavior, and responsible distribution and promotion practices.

“TRUSTe is committed to continually improving ecommerce, and we are thrilled to be entering into this relationship with eBay,” said Fran Maier, executive director and president of TRUSTe. “eBay’s pledge to improve downloadable software is a noteworthy step to heighten online accountability in the downloadable space. Our expertise, coupled with eBay’s reach, marks an unprecedented commitment to build a trusting collaborative platform to protect consumer privacy.”

About the Trusted Download Program
Trusted Download is a certification program for downloadable software, which demonstrates informed consumer choice, doesn’t exhibit surreptitious activities, and is distributed in a responsible manner. A seal at the point of download reassures consumers and a whitelist elevates certified software for advertisers and distributors. The complete set of program requirements, and additional information on the certification criteria, program elements, FAQs and sponsor roles, is available on the Trusted Download website at www.trusteddownload.com.

About eBay
Founded in 1995, eBay Inc. connects hundreds of millions of people around the world every day, empowering them to explore new opportunities and innovate together. eBay Inc. does this by providing the Internet platforms of choice for global commerce, payments and communications. Since its inception, eBay Inc. has expanded to include some of the strongest brands in the world, including eBay, PayPal, Skype, StubHub, Shopping.com and others. eBay Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.

About TRUSTe
TRUSTe helps millions of consumers identify trustworthy online organizations through its Web Privacy Seal, Email Privacy Seal and Trusted Download Programs. TRUSTe ensures online privacy and protects confidential user information on more than 2,400 Web sites and many of the most highly trafficked, including Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft, Disney, eBay, Intuit, and Facebook. Independent research shows that when a TRUSTe web seal is present, visitors and customers are more likely to share personal information, register at higher rates and spend more money. To learn more about internet privacy visit www.truste.org.

Posted: 07|1|08 at 7:04 am. Filed under: Auction News.