Broadband Tech > Security > Security > Yahoo Gives Adware a Pass

Yahoo Gives Adware a Pass

said by eWeek:

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In its spyware-fighting tool released in beta last week, Yahoo Inc. left out for automatic detection a category of often-unwanted software for which its paid search division has a financial stake.

Yahoo's Anti-Spy beta for its browser toolbar doesn't include adware by default when it scans users' systems for unwanted programs. Instead, to include adware, users must check a box each time they conduct a scan.

Among the programs the Sunnyvale, Calif., company classifies as adware are controversial ones from Claria Corp. (formerly The Gator Corp.) and WhenU.com Inc., two common targets of spyware critics who say the companies trick users into accepting unwanted downloads and flood machines with pop-up ads.

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said by Eric L. Howes:

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The largest problem with the industry reponses to "spyware" and "adware" is that, coupled with their publicly expressed interest in defending advertising software, they move us closer to an online world in which consumers are utterly dependent on and at the mercy of paternalistic corporate entities who dominate and control every aspect of their online experiences, effectively nullifying the promise of the internet to provide citizens and consumers with an unprecedented level of autonomy in a communications medium. As the consolidation of large media firms into large oligopolies -- which already own most of the largest ISPs, cable providers, DSL providers, and content providers, not to mention phone companies who control large swaths of the hardware backbone of the internet itself -- proceeds at a breakneck pace, it is not unreasonable to anticipate that we are not that very far from an online world that is divided up into several large corporate fiefdoms. These proprietary online empires could set strict limits on the kinds of content or software allowed over their proprietary networks, structure every aspect of their customers' "online experience" to channel consumers into their own e-marketing services, and exploit advertising software themselves to push unwanted commercial content down on users, even as they provide protection against "unapproved"/"unauthorized" advertising software from other properietary networks and entities. (...)

Thus, while such online giants would be expected to provide protection against advertising software from other online entities with whom it had no established commercial relationship, these giants would likely see fit to exploit the technology themselves to force their own commercial content down on users caught within the web of their oligopolistic networks. These online giants already see themselves as gatekeepers of sorts, controlling access to attractively large pools of consumers. In such an environment, the distinction that the industry seeks to make between illegitimate "spyware" and legitimate "adware" would simply be reproduced on a much larger level as these online media giants embedded their own preferred and protected forms of advertising software into the software layer of their networks and took steps to shield their captive customers from competing, external commercial messages.

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said by Eric L. Howes:

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If you doubt the potential dangers of this scenario or arrangement, then you ought to read the following report from Reuters about Microsoft's plans to sell space on a "whitelist" of "legitimate marketers" whose unsolicited commercial messages will be allowed past Microsoft's spam filters on Hotmail and MSN:

»money.excite.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt.···20040505

Replace "spam" with "spyware" or even "advertising software" and convert the "spam"/"legitimate marketing" dichotomy into "spyware"/"adware" and you'll begin to get a sense for why I am wary of the efforts of large ISPs to assume the role of protecting their customers from "spyware."

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This is a very sad, very self-serving move by Yahoo. I think their toolbar is nothing but a publicity stunt. Judging from all the google news alerts I've seen on it in the last week, it appears to be a successful one.

Mike Healan
www.spywareinfo.com

reply to eburger68
Hi All, again:

I just had to call attention to several statements from Yahoo's spokesperson on this:

said by eWeek:

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Yahoo spokeswoman Stephanie Ichinose said the toolbar beta integrates PestPatrol's software but did not know whether PestPatrol's own application also requires users to specifically select adware for detection.

"What this is all about is providing the users with visibility into their computer and to help them manage it as they see appropriate," she said.

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said by eWeek:

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As far as Overture's relationship with Claria, she said Overture screens its distribution partners to make sure they gain user permission before downloading software.

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said by eburger68:

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I sincerely hope that Yahoo's users can persuade Yahoo to reverse course and change this default behavior in its new toolbar while it's still in the beta stage.

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reply to eburger68
There are two important points that are being publicized here, and I hope this one is not buried: Yahoo is providing nearly a third of Claria's income! I talked with Matt Hicks yesterday and my spin on the subject was that Yahoo was trying to play both sides for profit.

We all know that the adware/spyware distinction isn't much of a distinction at all. In the end, nearly all this software is installed on PCs without the user being aware and therefore without adequate notification of the license. By that measure, there's no reason to break out "adware" for special treatment.

Ideally, Yahoo would say "We didn't realize when we bought Overture that they were doing business with Claria, we'll stop that right now." But if Claria is making about $30 million from the Overture deal, Overture may be making about the same. I doubt they have the will to stand on principle when that much money is involved, unless they see significant negative publicity from the relationship.

I would just like to applaud the efforts of Ben and Dave is as industry watchdogs in putting all the pieces together and to others for helping to spread the information.

I have learned in my own past experiences that sometimes companies become so large that communication becomes fuzzy. While one dept is working hard to generate public good-will other Dept's in the same company are screwing them trying to build their bottom line numbers. I do believe bringing this information to the public is a service to the company and its stockholders before they let things get out of hand.

We saw the positive results at Google when they clamped down on WhenU and hopefully we'll see Yahoo respond in kind.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks!
Bill

It made me sick to read this thread, I just wanted to throw my machine away and forget about the web, then I thought why should these**^^*^** win.

I did notice that in their application they [according to many people who come here, spywareinfo and spyware warriors and other places for help]have lied in stating that people agree to their programme in return for ADS.
Go here to read, every time I try to copy I lock up
»www.hoovers.com/free/co/secdoc.xhtml?i..

When will it get through these advertisers heads that we don't want their ads rammed down our throats.

It would be nice to know what these free programmes are and how much these multi million companies paid them. Oh I forgot these are their own programmes. oh well.

GAIN top 10 pest

sneaky spying Gator

said by lincolngreen:

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It made me sick to read this thread, I just wanted to throw my machine away and forget about the web, then I thought why should these**^^*^** win.

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reply to eburger68
For all us Yahoo users, let them here your comments: »add.yahoo.com/fast/help/us/compa···cgi_beta
--
Write your questions down on the back of a $20 dollar bill and send them to me

reply to eburger68

said by Pest Patrol:

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Adware: Software that brings ads to your computer. Such ads may or may not be targeted, but are "injected" and/or popup, and are not merely displayed within the form of an ad-sponsored application.

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eburger68 said:

What we really need to know is:

* Does Pest Patrol look at all at the issue of notice/disclosure during installation when deciding whether to classify something as "adware" vs. "spyware" or "hijackware"? ...

reply to eburger68
Hi All:

A new article from eWeek on the Yahoo Anti-Spy controversy:

Give Yahoo a Break on This Adware Controversy
»www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1606431,00.asp

If you were wondering just why those of us who went to the FTC's Spyware Workshop were making such a fuss about the attempts on Panel 1 to enshrine a definitional distinction between "adware" and "spyware," this is it -- because it leads to muddle-headed, ill-informed claims such as Larry Seltzer makes in this eWeek editorial. He writes:

said by Larry Seltzer:

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So, adware is somewhat sleazy, but it's on a whole different moral level than spyware, which actually spies on you, or perhaps worse. And in fact, there are people who want to run adware. (...)

It's a shame that adware and spyware get associated so closely by being scanned for by the same products. They're not the same problems.

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said by Pest Patrol:

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Adware: Software that brings ads to your computer. Such ads may or may not be targeted, but are "injected" and/or popup, and are not merely displayed within the form of an ad-sponsored application.

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said by Larry Seltzer:

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I think they're morons, but I have, for example, run into users who really like those browser toolbars that come with adware built in. In some cases, the program will fail if you remove the adware. (...)

I tested the actual toolbar myself. Take a look at the nearby screen shot of the interface, as it tells the whole story (click on the button to see the whole window): Yahoo Anti-Spy doesn't scan for adware by default, but it couldn't have made the option to do so more obvious. Nobody could miss that checkbox. (...)

But I bet there are people who will be happy with this setting. It's entirely possible that the number of false positives they will get because of that checkbox is much less than with the standard PestPatrol, which does scan for adware by default.

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reply to eburger68
Eric,Agree with your item whole heartedly especially your final comment.

We could give all our wages to these companies then they wouldn't have any reason to use the net, and people could get with using the net as it should be.[Tongue in cheek]

I'm battering away at my local MP in the uk to get her to take notice of the practices of these companies, but it's like banging your head against the wall. I guess money talks.

On with the battle.