RSSStudy: Spyware Profiting Off Google Ads
By Ed Oswald | Published June 9, 2005, 12:10 PM
A Harvard law student studying the effects of spyware accused Google of funding spyware earlier this week through its Google AdWords program. Benjamin Edelman said that Google's payments to these unscrupulous companies may be totaling millions of dollars per year, even if the ways these companies are making that money are flying directly in the face of Google's own policies.
Last year, Google published a set of guidelines for software that uses its advertising services within the programs themselves. "We believe that software should not trick you into installing it," the guidelines read.
However, according to Edelman, the two toolbars using Google advertising he researched -- Ask Jeeves and IBIS WebSearch -- both break this rule.
Ask's toolbar is installed without consent in several programs, including the iMesh and Kazaa P2P file sharing applications. Also, in its advertising, Edelman claims that Ask does not make it clear what the user is installing, or even mentions that it is a toolbar in installation.
"AJ's revenues ultimately largely come from Google: Enter a search term into an AJ toolbar, and most of the resulting ads are Google AdWords ads," Edelman wrote. "Google apparently pays AJ approximately $278 million per year," he surmised from recent financial releases.
Even worse, according to Edelman, is the IBIS WebSearch Toolbar, which is partially funded by InfoSpace. He offered documented occurrences of the toolbar installing itself through security holes in Windows without "notice or consent." The IBIS toolbar will also force a user to install the program once it clicks on a link to download, which violates Google's policy to allow users to decline an installation easily, Edelman said.
"Because IBIS WebSearch syndicates and shows many Google ads for many keywords, IBIS shows ads even for advertisers who otherwise refuse to do business with spyware firms," Edelman said. "Indeed, thanks to syndication from Google, IBIS even shows ads from firms that have filed suit against makers of such software."
Edelman recommends that Google spend more time researching their AdWords users to ensure that they are following the company's own policies. However, with such large amounts of money flowing from Google to these companies, both of which are large and credible Internet firms, stronger enforcement isn't that likely, he says.
Try a google for Spybot Search & Destroy then.
The advert on the right of the page is word for word what you just searched for . . but it has nothing what-so-ever to do with the popular (and safe) program from Patrick M. Kolla.
Score: 0
|People are dumb enough to click on the Sponsored Links? ;)
Score: 0
|Anyone surprised? How else would they make money? 98% Google 'Adsense' seems to point to spyware sites, and looking for "Ad-aware" always points you to the Rogue spyware-infested pretend-to-be Adaware sites. (BTW, always ensure it is LAVASOFT ADAWARE)
Score: 0
|http://www.google.ca/sea...d-Aware&btnG=Search
Tried the following:
adaware
adware
Ad-Aware
ad scanner
adware remover
and the first/second result was always lavasoft, or the official cnet download page.
Score: 0
|Hmmm I see that...I remember testing my theory many times but apparently...heck I dunno. Maybe they changed it. NM, I'll just shut up and be stupid.
Score: 0
|No, you were right! Ad companies keep changing their keywords to get at the top of the listing to catch those that are not paying attention. After a few days, it is back to normal.
I actually fell for it once, and now have to read whatever the results show. Sometimes, it may even look real, but as you hold your mouse over and look at the link, it is some other totally different site.
Score: 0
|LOL! Google ranks right up there with AOL, Yahoo, Lycos, MSN and the like. This really should not be suprising to any of us.
Sort of reminds you of politicians - doesn't it? (meaning - Full of S&^%$)
Score: 0
|Look, Google can't police the ad companies. It isn't their Job. People using computers have to smart enough to 'LOOK' at what they're clicking on to. Call it personal responsibility.
Don't force other companies to take responsibility for your own inability to police your own surfing habits. They don't click the links for you. If you get adware/spyware from ad-sence supported ads, it's through your own actions, not anyone elses.
Keep the reponsibility where it belongs. With you.
Score: 0
|PhoenixPath speaks the truth, this reminds me of the retarded parents who want the cable companies to block the *bad* movies and shows so their kids cant watch them instead of keeping up with what your children do. Screw being a real parent had taking cahrge for once. The same goes for this, why on earth do I need someone to protect me on the internet. I am not the type of person that has to say left, right, left, right, left, right as I walk down the street so i dont trip. So why do I need somebody to police the search engines for spyware and spam sites always trying to manipulate the system? It will always be done and there will always be a work around for the block if they do try to police it.
Face it, last time I checked we are all born with a brain it is just the mass majority of the population choose not to use it cause in the end they know the goverment will step in and make it to where they dont have to. Most people and fat, dumb, and lazy and this is just another way to show and prove it.
I have to deal with stupid people all day, but hey these stupid people are my job security cause they just done want to think correctly, they are happier trying to think of ways to be lazy than to think of ways to be productive in whatever they do.
Score: 0
|true
Score: 0
|