(Mis)Uses of Technology

(Mis)Uses of Technology

by Mike Masnick




'Cleaned Up' Zango Now Found 'Cleaning Up' Via MySpace Worm

from the all-cleaned-up,-huh? dept

Remember how spyware maker Zango was supposed to be all cleaned up, following an FTC fine? Yes, the same Zango who everyone kept finding being available via questionable installs? Well, the latest is that a fast-moving MySpace "worm" is all about getting more Zango installs. Not so clean just yet, huh? It's not exactly building anyone's confidence in the idea that Zango has fixed its problems with malicious, sneaky installs.

9 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
 

Reader Comments

(Flattened / Threaded)

    Dec 4th, 2006 @ 3:36am
  • fp

    by kuronoir

    It still amazes me that people download stuff from sites that are not safe and opening attachments they are not expecting from other people. I have been one the net since 94 and never got a virus just following those rules.

    its not hard, you just have to realize nothing is free, if they are giving it away, somehow you'll pay. Hey a Johnny Cockran rhyme.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Dec 4th, 2006 @ 4:47am
  • One of these days...

    by August West

    One of these days I hope to meet someone, somewhere and during the "what do you do" conversation" they say that they work for Zango or 180 solutions, or "an internet marketing firm". And when I do they're gonna get a good old fashioned ass-whipping.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Dec 4th, 2006 @ 5:28am
  • by Avatar28

    Yes, but the problem here is that A) people aren't opening attachments B) Most people would expect a major site like MySpace to be safe and C) judging from the past, this is likely being done via drive by download.

    Personally, I hope the FTC comes down on their thumbing their nose with a sledge hammer. Shut them down completely or fine the living hell out of them. Whatever the maximum legal fine per infringement is, I say hit them with it for every single installation they did in violation of the order. With any luck it will add up to a few billion and put them out of business completely.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Dec 4th, 2006 @ 6:16am
  • Government...

    by Me

    The problem with the solution of fining them is... they never fine them.

    You get a big a$$ company that does something wrong, they get fined like 0.00000001% of their profits in a year, the company doesn't even blink.

    So until someone in the FTC gets the balls to drop a BIG REALISTIC fine on someone companies are going to laugh the fines off and worry more about spinning the bad press back to good press (or at least neutral)

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Dec 4th, 2006 @ 6:24am
  • by fedup

    If they're getting away with putting the crap on our computers, shouldn't we be allowed to put crap on their computers? Granted it's not as easy as they have it, but I know someone out there could do it. Maybe the whole "taste of their own medicine" would get something going. If they try to get the person (or persons) who do it, the person(s) just needs to argue "hey, apparently they were allowed to put their crap on my computer because the people in charge of regulating that didn't do anything, so I should be allowed to do the same to them".

    Something like my own personal policy when it comes to email: You spam me, and I'll spam you right back.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Dec 4th, 2006 @ 6:34am
  • Fines ...

    by Anonymous Coward

    If a gov't agency levees a fine against a company, can the company somehow write that fine off on their taxes?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Dec 4th, 2006 @ 9:49am
  • criminal

    by Ryan

    we need to stop imposing fines and start dishing out prison sentences.

    If I went in your house without your permission and painted your walls a different color, i'd go to jail.

    Installing software without permission is the same, and should be punished the same.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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