What If Sneaky Adware Died And No One Noticed?
from the well-look-at-that... dept
Eric Goldman has a fascinating post, pointing out that the era of sneaky adware seems to be pretty much over. For quite some time, one of the biggest annoyances online for many users were surreptitiously-installed client side adware programs that would pop up unwanted ads while you did other things. However, it appears that a combination of factors have pretty much wiped them out. Legal rulings found that the surreptitious installs (either with no notice or misleading notices) were fraud. Companies were sued, fined and went out of business. Security firms got better at catching and blocking these programs, and the few remaining firms in the space moved on to other projects (though, some are equally questionable). Either way, most folks probably didn't notice, because they either learned to avoid the sneaky adware or they were already well enough protected from it. Yet, as Goldman points out, pretty much everyone (with the possible exception of Zango) is no longer in the business of tricking people into installing ad-spewing software.Of course, Goldman points out that no one has let the politicians in on this news yet, as many are still pushing various anti-spyware legislation that probably doesn't matter any more. He also points out that this doesn't mean questionable ad activity isn't still happening -- it's just moved on from sneakily installing an application on your harddrive. That's why Phorm (a former client-side adware maker) is in so much hot water these days. Its behavioral ad targeting solution may not be the same as the surreptitious client side ad spewing software -- but it's still surreptitiously watching your behavior and displaying ads based on it.
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Filed Under: adware, spyware, surreptitious installs
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Not profitable
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Re: Not profitable
Of course, as a politician, you get more credit for writing a new law with unintended consequences than when you enforce an existing one that does the same thing.
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Agreed...
It only takes a single new loophole/exploit/opportunity in any give legal ruling/software/technology/etc. that makes this profitable again and all the sharks will quickly re-converge on the same waters all over again.
Which is why I always carry a few extra fully charged scuba tanks and a high power rifle in my boat...
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The Free Market Wins
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Re: The Free Market Wins
The number of federal statutes/laws or state statutes/laws is mind boggling, and they continue to create new ones, when dow it end.
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Re: The Free Market Wins
If your business is built on trying to trick someone into something, its a questionable business at best.
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Problem is - they cant' even enforce half of what's out there now. They spend their time coming up with stupid laws that really have no 'weight' on enforcement needs as compared with REAL issues, like Rape, Murder, Kidnappings - etc.
And some politician is sitting around with panties in a bind over garbage spyware applications. It's enough just to publicize it.
It's basically a stupid law that seeks to protect stupid people, made by some stupid politician.
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Questionable business practices
"Up to 8Mb/s", "Unlimited downloads", "Only $6.99 month!!! (for first 3 months)"...
'Nuff said?
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Re: Questionable business practices
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Re: Re: Questionable business practices
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get rid of adware
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BS
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