Friday, March 31, 2006

Big companies funding adware: Netflix, eHarmony, etc.

Ben Edelman has a report on some big or well-known companies that are funding adware on the Internet, this time through the company Direct Revenue. They include Citibank, HSBC, True.com, United Airlines, Sprint, United Online (NetZero), People PC, Sage Software (maker of Act! contact manager software), T-Mobile, and Vonage. They include Cheap Tickets, Howard Johnson, and Super 8 (all Cendant properties). They include Travelocity, eHarmony, Blockbuster, BMG, CarsDirect, Chase, and Netflix.

On Ben's previous report, he listed advertisers paying for adware through 180solutions, which has now also been reported by the Center for Democracy and Technology (PDF). Some of the companies reported there were Altrec, Club Med Americas, eHarmony, GreetingCards.com, LetsTalk.com, Netflix, NetZero, PeoplePC, PerfectMatch, ProFlowers, True.com, uBid, and Waterfront Media.

Ben also notes that the Interactive Travel Services Association has actually come out with a policy promoting the use of adware! ITSA members include Cendant, CheapTickets, Expedia, Hotels.com, Hotwire, Orbitz, Priceline.com, Sabre, Travelocity, and Vegas.com.

If you are a customer of any of these companies, let them know that you don't appreciate their paying for advertising through adware and demand that they stop.

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