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Zango pushing spyware over MySpace?
MySpace users beware, it appears that spyware/adware companies are stooping to even new lows and creating false profiles with the intention of pushing adware. Zango, the company behind Hotbar and the Zango Search Assistant, is the culprit.. Zango was formed by the merger of Hotbar and 180Solutions a short while ago, and apparently now has had their software pushed to people via MySpace profiles in popups and maybe even false advertising:
One of the MySpace profiles pushed a toolbar and programs designed to "protect kids from predators," Boyd wrote in a blog entry over the weekend. The other popped up an extra window prompting the visitor to accept a licence to play a video file, he wrote.
Zango immediately has come out and state that the profiles were created by a "company developer" and that they were "a mistake". Regardless, the pages did exist, and it shows a concept that unfortunately may become quite common. One of them has been deleted, and the other may soon follow. But with spyware being such a big business, I doubt it will stay gone for good.
One of the MySpace profiles pushed a toolbar and programs designed to "protect kids from predators," Boyd wrote in a blog entry over the weekend. The other popped up an extra window prompting the visitor to accept a licence to play a video file, he wrote.
Zango immediately has come out and state that the profiles were created by a "company developer" and that they were "a mistake". Regardless, the pages did exist, and it shows a concept that unfortunately may become quite common. One of them has been deleted, and the other may soon follow. But with spyware being such a big business, I doubt it will stay gone for good.
User Comments (2)
Post a comment| fitzy75 on July 13, 2006 5:08 PM | It makes me sick to think they advertise these things on myspace at all, but making fake profiles just tops the lot.
As a regular user of myspace, I have seen a lot of scams and and over-the-top advertising. I don't normally mind advertising much but myspace has way too much of it. I think it should be limited to one banner per page and no popups at all. Recently, there has been a lot of fake profiles about some religion or something of the sort, and that has been putting links and banners on peoples profiles without their permission, it is actually adds code to their profile without asking at all. I thought that was bad enough but to think that the spyware makers are at it as well. Like a lot of other things, this is just another thing to put people off using myspace, it is a good and friendly website if it is used responsibly. But the aggressive advertisements and stuff in the media about teenagers being stalked just ruins the reputation of the site. In case anyone is interested or cares, my profile is here.
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| zephead on July 14, 2006 7:46 AM | ahh, i never bothered with myspace. i'm in there with my band, and that's good enough.
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