Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

MacKeeper May Have To Pay Millions In Class-Action Suit

Posted by samzenpus on from the pay-the-piper dept.

jfruh writes: If you use a Mac, you probably recognize MacKeeper from the omnipresent popup ads designed to look vaguely like system warnings urging you to download the product and use it to keep your computer safe. Now the Ukranian company behind the software and the ads may have to pay millions in a class action suit that accuses them of exaggerating security problems in order to convince customers to download the software.

8 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. That's it? by mbone · · Score: 5, Funny

    They might get fined? That's it?

    Can't they be sent to the Eastern Front to fight the Russians?

    1. Re:That's it? by NoKaOi · · Score: 3, Insightful

      They might get fined? That's it?

      Exactly, "exaggerating security problems" - yeah, how about fraud?

      Can't they be sent to the Eastern Front to fight the Russians?

      In the USA, they would be given an award and probably sue Apple based on a patent titled "METHOD OF ALERTING USERS TO SECURITY PROBLEMS ON A COMPUTER."

  2. Pennsylvania by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 2

    Class Action Suit filed in PA.

    Good luck getting company in Ukraine to cough up any money. It's not like they're part of the EU or something....

    --

    "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    1. Re:Pennsylvania by sverdlichenko · · Score: 3, Informative

      In April 2013, ZeoBIT, which now lists its headquarters as Sunnyvale, California, sold MacKeeper to a company called Kromtech Alliance Corp. Kromtech was closely affiliated with ZeoBIT in Ukraine, and many employees of ZeoBIT transferred to the company, which lists its headquarters as Cologne, Germany.

      It is exactly like this. And even without it, having this lawsuit settled is cue enough.

    2. Re: Pennsylvania by sverdlichenko · · Score: 2

      How hard is it to read four lines of text? ZeoBIT is in California and it cares enough to send a lawyer to court, to give up and to agree to put 2 million dollars to the compensation fund. Let me repeat it again: California, settled, 2 million dollars.

  3. Re:$Millions for exaggerating? by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 2

    Nearly half the population is guilty of "exaggerating"

    Pffft. More like 101%.

  4. Yes please by Trogre · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If this pans out perhaps we can get legal precedence against the horrible online ads that tell you there were 349856 problems detected with your computer.

    --
    "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
  5. Re:it can't be true! by sabbede · · Score: 2
    I got a call from "Microsoft tech support". I did everything they asked - I opened a browser, went to the page for the remote support tool, but ran into problems finding the icon they wanted me to click. I explained that Lynx doesn't show icons, and that I couldn't use another browser because I hadn't installed a GUI on that machine. They failed to grasp the implications.

    Eventually I grew tired of keeping them on the phone (I was at the office), so I said, "Oh, maybe the problem is that I'm on Linux and you're a lying criminal sack of shit." This amused my coworkers.