by certifiedbug on May 21, 2007
in Security
Ben Edelman
Spyware Still Cheating Merchants and Legitimate Affiliates
Spyware vendors are trying to clean up their images. For example, Zango settled a FTC investigation, then last week sued PC Tools for detecting and removing Zango software. Meanwhile, Integrated Search Technologies (makers of a variety of software previously widely installed without consent) introduced a new “Vomba” client that even received “provisional” TRUSTe Trusted Download certification.
But these programs’ core designs are unchanged: They still track user behavior, still send browsing to their central servers, and still show pop-up ads — behaviors users rightly disfavor due to serious effects on privacy and productivity.
Full Article. May 21, 2007
Press release from the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
NEW YORK, NY (January 29, 2007)—Attorney General Andrew Cuomo today announced that New York has reached ground-breaking settlements with three major online advertisers for promoting products and services on the Internet through deceptively installed programs known as “adware.” The agreements, with Priceline.com Incorporated (“Priceline”), Travelocity.com LP (“Travelocity”) and Cingular Wireless LLC (“Cingular”) mark the first time law enforcement has held advertisers responsible for ads displayed through adware.
The settlements grew out of the Internet Bureau’s investigation of DirectRevenue. People of the State of New York v. Direct Revenue, LLC.
Priceline, Travelocity and Cingular, among others, were discovered to have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars delivering ads through Direct Revenue software. Not a surprise, many legitimate companies fund the proliferation of adware with their advertising dollars, despite anti-spyware activists.
Ben Edelman “Spyware”: Research, Testing, Legislation, and Suits
180solutions. direct revenue, zango
by certifiedbug on December 9, 2006
in Security
Ben Edelman and Eric Howes:
Update December 8: Our follow-up comment to the FTC discusses additional concerns, further ongoing bad practices at Zango, and the special difficulty of enforcement in light of practices seemingly not prohibited by the proposed settlement.
Additional Comments on Improper Zango Practices. (PDF)
Article
by certifiedbug on December 1, 2006
in Security
Zango’s Founder and CEO Keith Smith was interviewed by Thomas Claburn of InformationWeek.
When InformationWeek asked what had been going on with the FTC, Keith Smith said:
It’s a great thing for us. It’s a great thing for the industry. For the first time, we have the federal government coming out and saying specifically yes, we do think that in order to install software on a user’s computer you should use plain language, notice, and consent, and there are the rules around that. So this is something that we’ve been doing since the beginning of the year, and it’s been a long process to get to the point where we could do that consistently in every single case. So we think it’s a good thing.
That strikes me as an odd statement, maybe the FTC should throw a few more 3 million dollar fines their way and make Zango really happy.
InformationWeek posed the question:
Have you resolved Ben Edelman’s recent complaint that Zango isn’t complying with the terms of its FTC settlement?
To which Smith responded:
I will say this: There are people, and I won’t identify anyone specifically, but if you look at the loud detractors of us in particular—not of the space, because spyware is a problem—but the loud detractors of Zango, most of them, if not all of them, have a direct financial benefit to continue to churn out fear about us and about this space. Whether they’re selling software or consulting services, they have a direct financial incentive to make us look bad.
That really doesn’t sound too bright coming from a CEO.
Ben Edelman and Eric Howes: Bad Practices Continue at Zango Just the facts Sir, just the facts.
Paperghost’s response to the interview.
by certifiedbug on November 20, 2006
in Security
By Ben Edelman and Eric Howes
November 20, 2006
Earlier this month, the FTC announced the proposed settlement of its investigation into Zango, makers of advertising software widely installed onto users’ computers without their consent or without their informed consent (among other bad practices).
We commend the proposed settlement’s core terms. But despite these strong provisions, bad practices continue at Zango — practices that, in our judgment, put Zango in violation of the key terms and requirements of the FTC settlement.
Full article
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined adware purveyor ‘Zango’ (formerly 180Solutions) three million dollars for deceptive installations of Zango’s pop-up software on users computers and trying to prevent those users from uninstalling it; a violation of federal law.
FTC File No. 052 3130
For Release: November 3, 2006
Zango, Inc. Settles FTC Charges
Zango agreed to the Federal Trade Commission settlement without admitting guilt.
ReveNews reports:
Spyware researcher Ben Edelman says he has proof that Zango hasn’t really cleaned up its act and that he’ll post his proof in the coming weeks.
by certifiedbug on February 23, 2006
in Security
Ben Edelman
February 20 , 2006
Nonconsensual 180 Installations Continue, Despite 180’s “S3″ Screen
On Friday morning (February 17), I received a nonconsensual installation of 180solutions Zango software through a security exploit.
But what’s newsworthy here is that 180solutions got installed, even though 180 last year told the world that these nonconsensual installations were impossible.
180’s October press release correctly describes the serious harms that occur when users receive many advertising programs. “A myriad of unwanted software … can often negatively impact system performance,” 180 admitted. But 180 then claimed that S3 would keep 180 out of such bundles. I disagree. According to my records, the installation at issue also installed Ad-w-a-r-e, Adservs, Integrated Search Technologies, Internet Optimizer, Media Tickets, New.net, Quicklinks, Surfsidekick, Tagasaurus, Targetsaver, Toolbar888, Ucmore, Webhancer, Web Nexus, WinFixer, and more. These many programs collectively bombarded my test PC with an incredible 730 registry keys, 1194 registry values, 461 files, and 43 file folders. Worse, the newly-installed programs caused 61 processes to run on my test PC, via 24 EXEs set to load each time I turned on my computer. The programs even added three different toolbars to my web browser.
Copyright © is the original authors.
