Daily Archives: May 14, 2006

Follow the Money: How Advertising Dollars Encourage Nuisance and Harmful Adware and What Can be Done to Reverse the Trend

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The Center for Democracy & Technology [pdf]:

Unwanted advertising software or “adware” has evolved from an annoyance into a serious threat to the future of Internet communication. Every day, thousands of Internet users are duped into downloading adware programs they neither want nor need. Once installed, the programs bog down computers’ normal functions, deluging users with pop-up advertisements, creating privacy and security risks, and generally diminishing the quality of the online experience. Some users simply give up on the Internet altogether after their computers are rendered useless by the installation of dozens of unwanted programs.

One of the most troubling aspects of this phenomenon is that the companies fueling it are some of the largest, best-known companies in the world. In the following pages, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) details how advertising dollars from major, legitimate companies are fueling the spread of nuisance and harmful adware1 and how those companies can help to combat the online scourge by adopting and enforcing good advertising placement policies.

Short Term Fix for the AMT

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David Lazarus updates us on the most recent tax bill, including its short term fix for the very large AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax) problem.

Meanwhile, the Nashville Songwriters Association International lobbied for and won a special tax break that will give songwriters a lower rate when they sell their catalog, or body of work. “Our lawyers here in town wrote the legislation,” says Debi Cochran, the association’s legislative director.

Perhaps we should organize some sort of parents or bloggers special tax break initiative.

Red Bank, NJ: More Telco Fun

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Redbanktv Blog:

Verizon infamously hired an ‘astroturfing’ company to send faxes to the mayor of Red Bank proclaiming to be from local residents. Mayor McKenna sensing something afoot with these faxes did a little research and called Verizon out. Verizon wanted it to appear that there was a real grass roots effort in support of them being undertaken by the residents of our small town; but there wasn’t. It was all made up and it backfired miserably.

NSA and the Greek mobile phone tapping scandal

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John Ioannidis:

Let me ask you first of all, there has been a lot of discussion here in Greece about this lawful interception software, explain to me what it is, and whether the US put pressure on worldwide companies to install that after 9/11 especially?

JB: Well the software is basically used to attach to commercial communication facilities, like the AT&T in the US, or whatever commercial company it is, and anything that goes over these communication facilities gets picked up, whether it is e-mail, or telephone calls and divert it to the US Government, whoever attached the equipment.

— Is it your understanding that most of the hardware companies around the world, that provide mobile telephone companies with equipment, had this installed at some point?

JB: Well in the US there was a lot of requiring that US companies do it, but around the world I think there was pressure by the US for a lot of the friendly countries to the US, allied countries to do as much as they can in terms of domestic eavesdropping and this type of equipment is most useful for that.