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Avira Wins Case Upholding Its Right To Block Adware
Mark Wilson writes: Security firm Avira has won a court case that can not only be chalked up as a win for consumer rights, but could also set something of a precedent. Germany company Freemium.com took Avira to court for warning users about "potentially unwanted applications" that could be bundled along with a number of popular games and applications. Freemium.com downloads included a number of unwanted extras in the form of browser toolbars, free trial applications, adware, and other crapware. Avira's antivirus software warned users installing such applications; Freemium took objection to this and filed a cease and desist letter, claiming anti-competitive practices. But the court ruled in Avira's favor, saying it could continue to flag up and block questionable software.
Most excellent!
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
The concept of "Precedence" in law is a US concept, not a German(y) one.
i tell you we are fucked for this to even need a court case of course we can flag and block things we don't what on your pc.
Browser Search Toolbars - it's a matter of provider. Personally I prefer to not have any toolbars because I don't trust those vendors. Other articles state that the current landscape of BHOs pegs about 80%+ of them as having malware-like behaviors, including:
- Deliberate opt-out mechanics with unclear opt-out instructions.
- Deliberately sabotaged uninstallers (so they can't be easily uninstalled).
- Installer tripwires (so they automatically reinstall if removal is attempted).
- Obfuscation to make them hard to detect.
- Or just plain drive-by installation.
If your software has to attempt to protect itself from my attempts to uninstall it then try making a case for why it might be wanted. The industry is living in denial if it can claim software we're all trying so hard to remove is "wanted". So...If I can assert that then why can't any random company say the same? Or is this a case of "it's only legal to say it if no-one is listening"? Companies like Freemium.com are the reason computers aren't any fun anymore - I spend more time fixing machines because of disingenuous jerkoffs like those.
Under what legal theory would it be forbidden to offer a product that blocks shitware? Even if we grant that this 'freemium.com' must be tolerated as legal-but-sleazy, rather than dragged out and hung from a lamp post; is there some sort of 'right to be installed' that software possesses that nobody told me about?
It seems about as silly as arguing that throwing away junk mail without opening it is abridging the spammer's right to free speech.
Modern app appers love adware because they're made of Freemium apps, not Luddite software like Avira!
Apps!
We strongly urge Is also a miserable new faces and many the deal with you ffel obligated to lead de2velopers while the project worthwhile. So I A super-organised man walking. It's
What were the odds that the owner of "freemium.com" is some low-life shitware-peddling scumbag?
It aces artificial AV tests in performance, because by default, it only scans files by extension, which is a huge security risk. The free version makes annoying advertisement pop-ups. And in my experience it popped out vaguely threatening messages about a vague virus which neither Combofix nor MBAM nor a couple of other AV products could find.
In my experience, all free AV programs are highly suspect in their behavior, by their nature and goal. They're full of upsells, they will passive-aggressively threaten you, they will try and install PUPs themselves... etc.
I have been using it for years.. Any body whom speaks out against is must be a corporate SHILL.
I find it defends against things others dont. It tops the list of accuracy, better than most of its competitors (corporate shills), validated by various 3rd party individuals.
dumb..
Aviria, is the Sh1t, it works ok for my needs and the various needs of my thousands clients and customers..
I am glad to see that someone is finally coming to the forefront.
all others $uck.
Best wishes,
NOT YOU..
Screw you, SourceForge!
"Avira flags all that crapware that most other antiviruses are paid to ignore," said a spokesman for Freemium.com.
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
... is on one hand the AV companies are flagging PUA, while on the other hand offering toolbars and search changes of their own at every opportunity. Effectively they are doing what they can to force their own search on users and then flagging anything that might change it, a very shady position if you ask me.
...because, OBVIOUSLY, Fremium.com's commercial rights to deliver whatever crap they want to to my browser take undeniable precedence over my rights to choose to be told that they're trying to deliver it, and to decline to receive it...
In what fantasy universe did they think they'd actually win that one?