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Adbusters Suggests Click Fraud As Protest
An anonymous reader writes "In response to Google's recently announced plans to expand the tracking of users, the international anti-advertising magazine Adbusters proposes that we collectively embark on a civil disobedience campaign of intentional, automated 'click fraud' in order to undermine Google's advertising program in order to force Google to adopt a pro-privacy corporate policy. They have released a GreaseMonkey script that automatically clicks on all AdSense ads."
As noted in the second comment in the posted article, Adbusters is using Google Analytics for user tracking. It doesn't seem like Adbusters is really concerned about this issue whatsoever if they allow Google to violate their own users' privacy, all while encouraging click fraud. What is Adbusters thinking?
And it will cost Google a lot of time and money to validate whether a click is fraud or not if enough people start doing it.
Nah, just a simple matter of Javascript to test if you have certain pieces of chrome installed relating to this script to determine if the clicks are fake. No Javascript, no ads for the plug-in to click on anyway. Then the plug-in is going to have to randomize where it stores its chrome evade detection.
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
You're being obtuse. The intent of the statement was clear. In case it wasn't to you, allow me to help clarify.
From wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click_fraud:
Click fraud is a type of Internet crime that occurs in pay per click online advertising when a person, automated script, or computer program imitates a legitimate user of a web browser clicking on an ad for the purpose of generating a charge per click without having actual interest in the target of the ad's link. Click fraud is the subject of some controversy and increasing litigation due to the advertising networks being a key beneficiary of the fraud.
Use of a computer to commit this type of Internet fraud is a felony in many jurisdictions, for example, as covered by Penal code 502 in California, USA, and the Computer Misuse Act 1990 in the United Kingdom. There have been arrests relating to click fraud with regard to malicious clicking in order to deplete a competitor's advertising budget[citation needed].
While not being done 'for a profit' it's still an asshat move to make.
In case you use firefox, try this extension (for example): Ghostery. It pops up a list of all the tracking scripts found on the web page you're browsing. Try leaving his on for a week and count how many websites track you. If your friends or family use firefox, install it for them, too.
Actually, I think I already have Google ads blocked...
Will false-positives hurt them more than just adblocking them?
Way more.
I'm an AdWords user and I pay $1 every time someone clicks my ad.
I quit using their "affiliates" because I was getting a lot of clicks from cybersquatting sites.