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Major Advertisers Caught In Spyware Net

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the spitzer's-bid-for-governor dept.

theodp writes "BW reports on Fortune 500 companies' use of adware - Sprint for its PCS phones, major banks peddling Visa cards, Sony and retailers including Circuit City. And Mercedes-Benz before the company, fielding complaints, put on the brakes. So far, law enforcement has mostly targeted the transmitters, but NY Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is threatening to hold accountable household-name advertisers that use adware networks. No longer, says Spitzer, can companies play dumb."

3 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Yup, it's them... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    How much zeal would a zealot zeal if a zealot could zeal zeal?

  2. Guts in law? by Penguinoflight · · Score: 0, Troll

    This is the first time I've seen a law enforcement agency show some guts in a long time. It's nice to see that spyware wont be tollerated from big nasty companies, I'd just be more happy if some law enforcement started fixing the identity insecurity problem.

    --
    "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the World"
    1 John 4:14
  3. Conspiracy? by youngMoney · · Score: -1, Troll
    This is just a step in covering a huge conspiracy for companies such as Lavasoft to gain money.

    First step, you infect computers with spyware and adware. Second step, release a free anti-spyware application, however make sure it won't capture all the spyware. Third step is where it gets evil; release a 'professional' version of your software to catch those desperate customers who are willing to pay $39.95 in an attempt to clean up their computer. Once they have paid, release new spyware which can only be caught by your seeming competitor's software, but in the background, make shady deals with them so that each anti-spyware application catches a few spyware programs, but of course, not all.

    --
    - -- --- teh what?