AOL’s free Active Virus product under fire
If you remember I covered a short review about AOL’s new Active Virus Shield. However since its release it has been under fire.
Now I didn’t cover the EULA of the product at all. But after carefull reading it does seems a bit of “how’s yer father”, and here you go! Now privacy experts have pointed the problem out:
“After being contacted by IDG News, AOL said it now plans to alter the licensing agreement. “We are updating the EULA to address any concerns,” said Andrew Weinstein, a company spokesman. “We are reserving the right solely to send periodic marketing e-mails that users will have the choice to opt out of.”
“Adding to AOL’s troubles is the fact Active Virus Shield’s security toolbar is based on a product with a questionable reputation. An earlier version of this software, known as the Softomate toolbar, is flagged as adware by Kaspersky’s own anti-virus products.”
Source: PC World
FYI, the Softomate toolbar is not spyware. Look at their client list for their toolbar developer’s tool: Skype, T-mobile, etc.. A few years ago, an adware form bought the toolbar development software and built a bad-behaving toolbar. Instead of creating signatures for that toolbar, the spyware vendors just took the easy route and created a signature for generic Softomate executables, which was a sloppy answer, imho.