AOL AV in adware alarm

Recently released Active Virus Shield, the Kaspersky-based anti-virus product from web giant AOL, is coming under criticism, with allegations ranging from harbouring adware to actually being spyware.

According to a report from PC World, small print in the EULA attached to the product allows AOL to harvest data from users' machines, bars users from installing ad-blocking software, and reserves the right to send out spam to email addresses required by the sign-up process. The privileges demanded by the EULA would, if put to use, earn the product the label spyware, according to the StopBadware Coalition. AOL has announced that it will be revising the EULA, which has been removed from the download site.

http://www.virusbtn.com/news/virus_news/2006/08_18.xml

Published Sat, Aug 19 2006 4:34 by donna
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Comments

Sunday, August 20, 2006 8:04 PM by reddog

# re: AOL AV in adware alarm

Would suggest folk go to activevirusshield.com and read the terms and make their own decisions.  The idea of offering $30-40/yr in consumer value as a trade for selected promotional messages seems a fair one to me, and in a world of free choice, I can make my own decision.   I read the original piece in PC World, and think while AOL does deserve grief in the search data disclosure, here they are getting a bum rap.  As for the optional IE toolbar, it is just fine, imho.  No better or worse then the Google and Yahoo stuff.  
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 2:03 PM by Donna's SecurityFlash

# OK I did a Freeware Antivirus Detection Tests

AOL is now providing freeware antivirus (with real-time protection), powered by Kaspersky.  There...