Zango May Have Worked Things Out With The FTC, But What About The MPAA?
from the out-of-the-frying-pan,-into-the-fire dept
We've pointed out for years the various questionable activities performed by adware firm Zango (or one of its earlier incarnations). The company has gone through so many changes it's tough to follow, but every time it insists that it has somehow "cleaned up" its act, it doesn't take long for researchers to find evidence to the contrary. For a while, the company was in hot water with the FTC for tricking people into downloading its adware. It eventually settled with the FTC, paying a hefty fine. These days, once again, the company insists that it's reinvented itself to focus on the "casual gaming market."However, that doesn't appear to be the case. I recently saw a presentation from the company where it didn't mention casual gaming at all, but instead called itself a "publisher" of content -- though it was quite vague and evasive about just what kind of content. Perhaps that's because it doesn't want parties like the MPAA to know. As Ben Edelman had noticed a few months ago -- and now more and more security researchers are finding, Zango's software is being offered up by folks who are promising fully pirated movies.
It makes you wonder if Zango recognizes that dealing with the MPAA may be a lot less pleasant than fighting the FTC. Of course, maybe the MPAA recognizes that when pirated movies come with intrusive adware like Zango, it only gives pirated movies a bad name.
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Filed Under: adware, ftc, malware, popup advertising, zango
Companies: mpaa, zango
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Heh
I do not think that the MPAA has the intelligence to make such a distinction.
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Last I looked right next to the words vague, evasive, greedy, sneaky, underhanded, snake oil salesman and unethical it said 'See Zango'.
JMHO based on observances
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Re: Heh
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Re: Re: Heh
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Zango, spyware, viruses and trojans
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Yay
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Zango is safe!
We would like to correct this listing.
Zango is a safe and secure program and is tested daily to make sure it is always safe.
We are certainly aware of the ever-growing number of harmful applications that have surfaced on the Web.
Please be assured that Zango, unlike such applications, will always make the user’s privacy our top priority. Zango is a safe and secure program which installs only upon user's download and does nothing without the user's consent.
Following are some clarifications on the function of Zango's software:
1. Zango does not build personal profiles.
2. Zango does not gather any data you enter in online forms.
3. Zango does not access any sensitive information entered while surfing, such as account details, passwords, credit card information, products you purchase online, etc.
4. Zango’s installation does not install any third party applications. In addition, Zango can be installed only through a standard download process initiated by the user from Zango's websites and is easy to uninstall.
Unfortunately, it appears that some scanning applications have mistakenly included Zango on their lists. We are aware of this situation and our legal team is contacting these companies in order to be removed from their lists.
Zango works with various partner sites. This means that when a site owner partners with Zango, the site offers content for free and the content on this site requires downloading Zango first.
Once Zango is installed, you will have free access to all Zango related items without having to download Zango again.
Zango is a user friendly program, and it is of paramount importance to us that our program will function properly and will be easily installed and removed.
As in common practice among on line companies, Zango can be removed from the computer via Add or Remove programs (Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add or Remove programs), you may use our uninstaller and you may also use the uninstall instructions we offer under the Zango component in the program’s list.
Following this procedure, Zango and all Zango related components will be completely removed from your computer.
To remove Zango from your computer, please do the following:
1. Close all open applications/programs/windows
2. Go to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs
3. Find Zango on the list
4. Click the Change/Remove button
5. Check the components you wish to remove, click Next and follow the on-screen instructions.
6. Restart your computer
Alternatively, you can use our uninstaller:
1. Click on the following link - http://installs.zango.com/downloads/Uninstaller/Uninstaller.exe
2. Click Run and follow on-screen instructions
3. Restart your computer.
If you have additional questions do not hesitate to contact us:
Zango support team can be easily contacted through our help site: http://catalog.zango.com/destination/corporate/supportform.aspx
or directly at: zangocustomersupport@zango.com
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Re: Zango is safe!
Also:
Unfortunately, it appears that some scanning applications have mistakenly included Zango on their lists. We are aware of this situation and our legal team is contacting these companies in order to be removed from their lists.
Why would your *LEGAL* team contact them? Why wouldn't it be your tech team, to show them that your software isn't problematic?
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Typical Zango Reply...
Wayne Porter has some nice stuff here too:
http://tinyurl.com/6z6jdo
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Definding my compiny
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uhm what..
anyway the reason why alot of people think that zango is harmfull is .. if a regular user installs it on a machine you can pretty much bet it isnt the first thing he installed from the internet.. most of which is crap filled with virussus.. you only notice zango because you can actually see he installed that and it gives ads.. after that people just conclude that zango installed that stuff..
then again.. it could just be that my antivirus/spyware rules and thats why it didnt bother me at all .. :D
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