Tag: Claria

Claria “restructures” adware business

According to a report circulating the AP wire, Claria (formerly Gator) is exiting the adware business. They’ve hired Deutsche Bank Securities to “sell” that business. They want to concentrate their efforts on something called “PersonalWeb,” which is driven by their “new ad network,” aptly named “BehaviorLink”.

How are they going to make these new and different personal and behavioral things happen ever so wonderously, now that they are disposing of their adware business? According to Techdirt, with new, but not so different, software installs that track your surfing habits, thats how.

Sounds to me like spin, ala 180Solutions, all over again.

March 22, 2006

Microsoft making fast friends in spyware

Microsoft is up to something. I am not sure if it is good or bad.

First it was rumored that the boys in Redmond were thinking about buying spyware extraordinaire Claria. Now Microsoft has made the interesting move of downgrading Claria adware detection.
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July 8, 2005

Trailing adware – where do the breadcrumbs lead?

Most in the online world have probably heard by now that Elliot Spitzer’s office is suing spyware company Intermix. But, nobody has explained very clearly how spyware vendors make their money, so I will. Spyware companies generally collaborate with their customer to deliver targeted advertising of their customers’ products. That is where the whole spying thing comes in. If you know the online user very well, even if the user doesn’t know you know them very well, then you can provide some assurance to the customer that their ad will be seen by someone that fits their target audience, and therefore their product demographics. In summary, spyware companies get paid to deliver ads, but it doesn’t end there.
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May 5, 2005

Gator back on PestPatrol’s Spylist

Anti-spyware software vendors are generally out for your best interests. Its when they decide what is and isn’t spyware is when your fate is sealed. Luckily, Computer Associates PestPatrol decided in favor of the customer, and (more…)

April 17, 2005