23/02/2005

Spyware-shilling scum threaten Spyware Warrior and others

entry posted by Inquisitor at 14:00 (permalink). edited on: 08/05/2005 18:56.
categories: Idiots , Microcode , Scumbags

Suzi at Spyware Warrior has received a legal threat from the people behind the iSearch spyware toolbar, spread-blasted around a load of spyware information sources (note her letter threatens, dumbly, her domain registrar, because they're offering a cloaking service where her name doesn't show up on the domain). Nevertheless, it's a fairly scary move - especially after both Aluria and Lavasoft's hijinks with WhenU, who also have threatened people who claim their spyware is.

iDownload/iSearch, of course, claim that their product is not malware, despite the fact that the licensing agreement (warning: link goes to iSearch, although the page doesn't appear to contain an installer) contains this:

By installing the Software, you understand and agree that the Software may, without any further prior notice to you, automatically perform the following: display advertisements of advertisers who pay a fee to iSearch and/or it's partners, in the form of pop-up ads, pop-under ads, interstitials ads and various other ad formats, display links to and advertisements of related websites based on the information you view and the websites you visit; store non-personally identifiable statistics of the websites you have visited; redirect certain URLs including your browser default 404-error page to or through the Software; provide advertisements, links or information in response to search terms you use at third-party websites; provide search functionality or capabilities; automatically update the Software and install added features or functionality or additional software, including search clients and toolbars, conveniently without your input or interaction; install desktop icons and installation files; install software from iSearch affiliates; and install Third Party Software.

and this:

However, to enable iSearch and/or it's partners to provide and operate its Software, iSearch and/or it's partners may collect certain types of non-personally identifiable information about individuals who install the Software. This information may include your Internet protocol (IP) address, your domain, your operating system, your browser version, type and language and your Internet Service Provider.

[...] iSearch and/or it's partners may also collect and may use certain other types of non-personally identifiable information, including: certain of the web pages that you view, the amount of time that you spend on certain websites, your responses to ads served by iSearch and/or it's partners, certain software installed to your computer and software characteristics and preferences [isx: like Spybot S&D, maybe?] , non-personally identifiable information on web pages and forms, software usage characteristics and preferences, and your ZIP code.

Gee, sounds like spyware to me. Sounds like a Trojan to me. And, of course, with your IP, domain, webform entries and postcode, you are personally identifiable, so they're lying to you.

This amusing thread at Wilders Security shows that Microsoft AntiSpyware (actually a rather good piece of software - it's what used to be GIANT AntiSpyware, it's going to be free, and it's permanently resident) spots and stops iSearch installation, so iScum are going to have to go up ahead the world's biggest software company if they want to stop their piece of shit software being 'libelled', he he. So instead they're threatening a blogger, one who doesn't even make a software product.

Way to go, iSearch. Now, can you piss off?

|