The Next Java Update Could Make Yahoo Your Default Search Provider

itwbennett writes: At the company's shareholder meeting on Wednesday, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer announced a partnership with Oracle that could result in Yahoo becoming your default search provider in your browser. Starting this month, when users are prompted to update to the next version of Java, they'll be asked to make Yahoo their default search engine on Chrome (and Internet Explorer, for what it's worth). And, according to a Wall Street Journal report, the button will be checked by default, so if you aren't looking out for it, you might unwittingly find yourself a Yahoo user.

Comments

Re:This is not news...

[ihtoit]

EU Directive 2002/58 on Privacy and Electronic Communications deals with this, as does the maxim "Silence or lack of objection does not imply informed consent", to paraphrase Munby LJ in G (R on the application of) v Nottingham City Council [2008] EWHC 400 (Admin), para. 56.

Re: This will do WONDERS for Yahoo's image!

[kenh]

Whoosh!

Ask, questionable... Come on, you didn't see that coming?

Re:This will do WONDERS for Yahoo's image!

[grahamtriggs]

Both should be a criminal offence - If I install an application (e.g. Java), then it should do what it needs to do to make that application work, not mess around with *my* environment unnecessarily.

And

[Ol Olsoc]

Adobe tries to slip in MacAfee on you when you download their pdf reader.

Re:Google is too wild . . .

[BlackPignouf]

If you try to access google.com from Germany, it automatically redirects you to google.de.
If you want the "original" Google from abroad, you need to type google.com/ncr.
This link should work the same all over the world :
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd...

Hopefully, the old pre-opt-out will work

[idontgno]

In Windows, use the Java Control Panel and select the "Advanced" tab.

At the very bottom of the list, completely out-of-sight unless you scroll aaaaaaal the way down, in a category called "Beware of the Leopard"... no, sorry, I meant "Miscellaneous"... there's a checkbox labeled "Suppress sponsor offers when installing or updating Java".

Of course, by default it's not checked. Because money.

But check it and apply or "OK" the settings change. In the current implementation, this prevents bundling the Ask.com malware with Java upgrades -- it's a pre-opt-out, and you never have to think of it again. (At least, until Oracle decides the option should auto-magically unset itself when the user's not looking. Because money.)

Assuming this option continues to exist in future Oracle Java versions and is honored for the Yahoo tie-in, this would alleviate the pre-opt-in crapware issue. Big assumptions, of course, because Oracle.

(Or alternately, don't install Java if you don't actually need it. Or install OpenJava rather than Oracle's.)