Feds Asked to Take Action Against Adware Creator 240
An anonymous reader writes "CNet is reporting that a consumer watchdog group has asked the Federal Trade Commission to take action against 180solutions and CJB.net for unfair and deceptive business practices. The Center for Democracy and Technology submitted over 150 pages of examples of 180s bad practices." From the article: "180Solutions deliberately and repeatedly duped Internet users into downloading intrusive advertising software, according to a Center for Democracy and Technology complaint (download PDF). The company continued these practices even after it pledged to better itself and after receiving warnings from spyware experts and privacy advocates, the group said."
And not always duped... (Score:3, Interesting)
Never before and never since had I ever had this happen... and it did make me a believer that a system could be hijacked without the user doing anything more than navigating to an HTTP url.
Advergaming The New Adware? (Score:4, Interesting)
If you buy a software, install in your computer and it's showing you ads when you're using the software, it may even retrieve new ads from a remote location, are we supposed to put up with that?
Throw them in jail... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:And not always duped... (Score:3, Interesting)
That depends heavily on what program you are using to browse to the respective HTTP url. Your problem was not that you are simply "browsing to a url", the specific problem is that you are "using IE to open a url". IE leaves itself wide open to attack for a variety of reasons, I've been browsing almost exclusively with Opera for the last few years (a little Firefox as well), and I haven't had any issues at all (read: not even one). I don't run a virus scanner, my biannual spyware inspections only turn up various cookies, and I haven't had an infection in years. I also browse some pretty disreputable sites with impunity, the difference between me and the average user is that I take specific precautions with my browsing habits (i.e., I don't use IE, on any computer, except to test sites).
Re:Advergaming The New Adware? (Score:1, Interesting)
Unobstrusive advertisements in a video game is actually a clever idea - an extension of unobtrusive product placements in movies. The problem is that people's tolerances change and after awhile, advertising methods stop being effective. Rather than coming up with the next innovative idea, advertisers change their tactics. Since people are ignoring the advertisements, the advertisements become more intrusive.
A modest proposal (Score:3, Interesting)
Go into the homes of the 180solutions executives. Rewire all their consumer electronics, from their refrigerators to their Tivo boxes. Make it very difficult to figure out what has been changed, or how to change it back. Leave a note behind saying, "We saw how you were using your home electronics and thought we could help!"
Seriously, I see no difference between this scenario and what adware/spyware companies do with your PC. Even the EULA on adware-loaded software doesn't make it clear what's going to happen once this stuff gets unleashed on your hard drive.
Easy enough solution I use... (Score:1, Interesting)
Use Linux for anything I don't specifically know will do no damage. ie: most anything online is done through Linux. For any video games or webpages I specifically know to be safe, XP is fine.
They're not the only evil ones... (Score:5, Interesting)
What about 2o7.net? These bottom-feeders have been using a domain name that looks like an IP address for ages - and there's no legitimate reason for it, other than to confuse those who can't tell zero's from O's in their firewall reports. Even their hosts appear with stuff like 192.168.1.2o7.net.
Most folks out there would miss that in a firewall report if they didn't read it closely and wonder why an IP address appeared in the resolved names column.
What ever happened to the Internet Death Penalty? Boy, do we need it now!
Re:180 will always be right on the edge (Score:2, Interesting)
Microsoft is largely responsible for beating the public down in the computer arena until they just click OK or I Agree and be done with it. Microsoft is also responsible for establishing legal precedent that assenting to such an agreement is legal and binding regardless of whether you read it or are capable of understanding it.
But Microsoft is hardly the first entity to beat the public down until they sign a document without reading it. If you've ever used a parking garage, you have tacitly agreed to the contract written in microfiche on the reverse side of the ticket you are given as you enter the garage - this contract has also been tested in court and is legal and binding.
Re:Your spyware stories? Here's mine (Score:3, Interesting)
Death to the Scum Suckers that make Spyware (Score:3, Interesting)
1.) 180 Solutions has now resorted to FLAT OUT HACKING to get their shit on your computer. I use Firefox 99% of the time. Today, while reading Slashdot (in Firefox) my computer mysteriously rebooted. When it came back up (for a few minutes) I noticed that I now had 180 solutions crap all over my fracking computer. Attempts to clean it caused my computer to reboot again and again and again. I wound up having to do a System Restore to a few hours earlier. These FUCKERS WILL PAY!
2.) While I am a big fan of ALTERNATE Operating Systems, having the GENERAL PUBLIC switch to them would not solve the problem, for long. The reason Linux, Unix and MacOS don't have this problem is because there isn't a big enough user base to make figuring out how to infect these systems PROFITABLE. If you had a massive move of people to these OS's then they Spyware people would just move too.
3.) Someone asked why there is an RIAA to protect CORPORATE INTERESTS but nothing to protect CONSUMER INTERESTS. Well there are several reasons: 1.) They have BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, 2.) They work together (probably the most important) to form these groups like the RIAA, 3.) We (the voters) keep electing these low-life son-of-a-bitches that PROTECT CORPORATE AMERICA while SCREWING CONSUMERS and 4.) American's (the consumers) have become complacent and won't TAKE A STAND against CORPORATE AMERICA to PROTECT OUR RIGHTS.
If people would spend half as much time BITCHING ONLINE (Like I am doing right now) and more time FORMING A GROUP then we might have enough power to CHANGE THINGS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Richard Colbert
Web: http://www.venuspcservice.com/ [venuspcservice.com]
ICQ: 14466429
YIM: cmptrgeeknshermantx
MSN: pcheaven2k at hotmail dot com
180solutions ranked 7 in Inc. Magazine (Score:3, Interesting)
Search Marketing Company 180solutions Ranks Seventh On the 2005 Inc. 500 [180solutions.com] (press release on 180solutions.com web site)
Either Inc. didn't do their research on companies in their top 10, or they truly don't care how the money is made, only that it is made.
Re:and it won't matter... (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually, it won't matter because even though we (tech savy, anti-malware consumers) are the vast majority of the marketplace, we are the vast minority of Crapware 180's "customers".
What power do we really have? A boycott won't work. None of us buy thier "products" anyways. The Malware makers income is all based on being paid by shady or downright illegal companies for advertisments. And all of those companies rely on uninfomred (read: stupid) people seeing those ads and responding to them. It may not be many people, but it's enough to make a profit. (After all, when you're either a) selling snake oil or b) stealing people's money/credit card numbers/identity/whatever, only a few suckers are needed to make a profit).
So we can't do any economical harm to them through the usual methods. We can't boycott products, or refuse to shop at the advertised merchants. And even if one or two of those merchants get nailed/go bankrupt/whatever, there will be 500 more right behind them, all waiting to get their share of the sucker pie.
Corporations aren't going to do anything about it, either. None of the "merchants" are their direct competators. Those corps are focusing on "ligitamate" consumers (ie: us). They don't see Crapware 180 as a competator. They may see it as a minor nusicence to their own networks. But keep in mind that there are SEVERAL corporations who's business model depends on the existence of black hat advertisers. (After all, with no spyware infested computers, there's no way to see spyware removal programs/services...).
So the government can try to step in and blow up Crapware 180, or any of their ilk, but it'll only go so far. Most of those companies have gone to great lengths to (just barely) stay within the letter of the law (or at least, snuggled safely in a nest of loopholes). Any action they can try to take would get tied up for years, if not decades, in the courts. Crapware 180 will make enough money to survive the legal actions. And, in the worst case, they can fold and secretly/illegaly shuffle their money away, only to pop up again as another company.
Personally, I still think that a user supported massive attack on the spyware companies will do any good. Something like the Make Love Not Spam screensaver from a year or so ago. Either DDoS the servers to hell (of the merchants or the adware provider, whichever), or some form of massive "click fraud" type attack against the merchants to make it too expensive to operate. (No profit = no companies).
Re:Hehe, cjb.net (Score:2, Interesting)
CJB.net is run by one Chris Butdorf of Wooster, Ohio. I know this because I knew the guy a long time ago.
This sort of behaviour from him is nothing new. In fact, it goes back to the days of his Spitfire-based BBS.
One particularly nasty prank that he and a friend of his played was spoofing an email (which in 1996 was easy to do and difficult for non-UNIX savvy types to understand) as though it came from another BBS operator in town. This email went to the Whitehouse, threatening the life of the president. Let me just say that when two Secret Service agents and the Wooster Chief of Police dragged this guy out his band class, and his father out of work, "CJB" thought it was funny. The guy's life was nearly ruined. (Side note - the guy was so disenchanted by the experience that he gave up the tech career path altogether.)
The fact that he's now adware scum is no surprise to me, and likely not to anyone else who knew him at the time.
Re:Hehe, cjb.net (Score:2, Interesting)
Just wanted to confirm this story. I went to school with Butdorf, and with the kid that he got into trouble. I know of another incident where Butdorf was suspected of bringing porn into the school and loading it on some school systems and blaming it on another student. The student got yanked out of English class and had all of his posessions searched.
He was a sad and immature little turd in high school, and it doesn't look like much has changed.