Zango Didn't Actually Stop User From Pushing Spyware Videos On MySpace

from the how-nice dept

Thu, Jul 27th 2006 2:48am — Mike Masnick

Earlier this month, we had a story about how someone was trying to trick MySpace users into putting videos on their site that, as part of the process, would push any visitors to install Zango's adware/spyware offering. The folks at Zango struck back with an odd defense -- first admitting that it was an employee who put up the videos, but that it wasn't sanctioned by the company at all. They then said that they forbid affiliates from posting to MySpace -- and even though some ignore it, they've been able to effectively catch those affiliates and "deal with them." That might sound familiar. After all, this is the same company (under a previous corporate name) that claimed not so long ago that it had new technology to deal with rogue affiliates -- even as it's been shown time and time again that those rogue affiliates still exist widely. However, the company's effectiveness in "dealing with" rogue affiliates looks even more ridiculous today as the same researcher who discovered the MySpace videos has determined that the same exact user is pushing new Zango-infested videos on MySpace. In other words, Zango's definition of "dealing with" this rogue affiliate is to let whoever it is keep doing what they were doing -- just having them move it to a different page. If they are so against rogue affiliates (that is, when they're not rewarding them), then why did they leave this account active?

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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jul 2006 @ 5:08am

Do we really need to question why a company based on sleazy technology isn't punishing their employees for putting their crap out there to infest others? They probably have a division devoted to going to places like myspace and uploading their crap for others to get.
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Drama2Sell, 27 Jul 2006 @ 5:34am

The Rogue Employee
I love "the rogue employee" defense.

Seriously, you are saying that even though nobody WOULD EVER install Zango software on their own system given the option--some plucky employee took it upon himself to widely distribute your adware without your knowledge???
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Sanguine Dream, 27 Jul 2006 @ 6:23am

Re: The Rogue Employee
Not only did some emplyee do that but he/she seems to have done it without violating any company policies since they appearantly haven't fired her/him yet.
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Lay Person, 27 Jul 2006 @ 8:23am

As I've always said...
As I've always said:

It's very easy for these companies to generate additional, albeit subversive, revenues. All they have to do is create a list of infected computers which is sold to the highest bidder. No one knows about it because no one is watching nor do they know who or what to watch. The product/service is non-tangible so they can simply hide behind this supposed unknown.
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Alan MadLeese, 27 Jul 2006 @ 9:37am

Hard to imagine MySpace's innocence ....
MySpace CEO Christopher T. DeWolfe's background as a predatory banker is on the record and agencies such as the OTS, the SEC, ERISA, will suspport that view...Mr. DeWolfe, who has ably served predatory banker Andrew Alan Wiederhorn of the Fog Cutter Capital Group in Oregon, in various trouibled times ... like the time the Beverly HIlls bank Chris worked for had to do some sharp stuff to try to help his pal and boss Andy Wiederhorn get out of his guilty role inthe biggest pension fund theft of its kind in American history. Christ Beverly Bank, used as a tool to further Wiederhorn's subpr8ime lending schemes, also tried to assist Andy in his felonious activites in Hallowell, Me., this writer's home place, back in the late nineties. SO if CEO Christopher T. DeWOlfe is questioned about these matters he will not comment, and he may well not comment upon the Xango Tango but that would be good because then inquiring minds on the internet can feel free to suspect DeWolfe's may not be cleaqn in any of the troubles looming on MySPace's horizon. See apprpopriater government doctuments to support my claism, because, as of this writing, the story of the secret spawners and profiteers of the MySpace venture has yet to hit the lamestreammedia. al maacleese of hallowell, where were having a aheat wave, but balmy breezes always rule.
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