DiversionWare

from the stealing-sales dept

The NYTimes has an article talking about the increasing use of diversionware in software products. Remember the big stink about spyware? Well the same products that may have installed spyware and adware on your computer also probably put some diversionware. Now, every time you shop at an online store that has an affiliate program, that software sneakily puts their own affiliate ID into the page - even if you came from somewhere entirely different (with its own affiliate ID). Sites that have their own affiliates are angry at these software products stealing their sales. The companies that make the software all claim it was unintended, and that the latest versions don't do that - but many people don't believe them.