More Bad News At Aol

[Dubh Aingeal]

The bad news at AOL keeps coming. First they get in trouble for releasing search data on more than half a million customers, then it gives away security software with a nasty EULA:

This time the issue is with the company's Active Virus Shield antivirus software, released last week.

At issue is the software's licensing agreement, which authorizes AOL to gather and share data on how the software is being used and permits AOL and its affiliates to send e-mail to users. "If you go through the installation, just as any normal user would, there is not the slightest hint of any advertising functionality or data gathering of any kind," said Eric Howes, director of malware research at anti-spyware vendor Sunbelt Software Inc.

Now its free client software is accused of acting like badware according to Stopbadware.org, the Google-funded rating group.

The report blasts the free version of AOL 9.0 because it "interferes with computer use," and because of the way it meddles with components such as the Internet Explorer browser and the Windows taskbar. The suite is also criticized for engaging in "deceptive installation" and faulted because some components fail to uninstall.

[Scary Guy]

I've always hated AOL, this just gives me more reason.

[Anathema]

I've always hated AOL, this just gives me more reason.

me to. wasn't there a site online that you could pay to use for mail and whatnot call A O Hell? my son's dad showed it to me about 3-4 years ago. i found it rather amusing actually. don't know if it is still around though

[Troy Spiral (13)]

there was a very well written site called "AOL Sucks" but the guy who wrote it got a job with AOL. lol