Spywear causing problems for search engines
29 June 2004
Spyware is getting more powerful causing problems for search engines claims zdnet.com.
Spyware is software that installs on a PC without consumers knowledge, sometimes for criminal purposes.
Over the last few years an entire spyware industry has come into being with the direct aim of taking advantage of search engine advertisements, which are the fastest growing and most lucrative sector of online advertising.
Google in particular has drawn the attention of these grey marketers and researchers for Lavasoft identified one dangerous application that targets the search engine by altering the display search results after installing itself when people visit certain websites.
In Google's IPO prospectus they acknowledge the threat stating: "New technologies could block our ads, which would harm our business."
Although Google have issued guidelines to searchers zdnet.com, states that the problem is very difficult to manage.
For example, Utah and Massachusetts have enacted laws to restrict types of downloadable software from tracking users and delivering ads but adware maker WhenU recently contested the law and won a temporary reprieve.
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