To Customer Support To Customer Support

Avira turns tables to launch lawsuit against ‘crapware’ slinger

  • 29 October 2015
  • 6 replies
  • 621 views
Jasper_The_Rasper
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +54

Freemium.com hit with lawsuit over bundled apps

 
                                       


 
29 Oct 2015 at 15:58, John Leyden
 
Avira, which re-affirmed its right to classify Freemium.com as a nuisance back in June, has launched a legal offensive against the controversial app.
 
The security software firm's filing concerns Freemium.com's alleged practice of “confusing users into installing unwanted programs that can compromise users’ privacy or weaken their computers’ security.”
 
The German lawsuit represents a rare, if not unprecedented, case of a security vendor taking a software publisher to court over this business practice.
 
Developers of software classified as unwanted or deceptive periodically take security software vendors to court, with one of the most high profile cases involving a series of unsuccessful lawsuits by Zango against Kaspersky Lab and others over adware classification between 2007 and 2009.
 
Full Article

6 replies

shorTcircuiT
Rank
Userlevel 7
Nice!
 
Given the statements in the article however about previous lawsuits against AV and other vendors classifying a PUA for what it is, I can more fully understand Webroot's position on this subject.  I hope that this lawsuit meets strong success, as that will make it easier, hopefully, for Webroot and others to take a few more aggressive stance on crapware and bundled software.
DanP
Rank
Userlevel 7
Badge +35
This will be an intersting case to watch...
 
-Dan
Webroot Threat Research
Baldrick
Rank
Userlevel 7
Very much agree with you, David...it is about time that this was all tested so that security app providers have a firm basis to go forward with re. this particular area.
Webroot SecureAnywhere Complete Beta Tester v9.0.24.49, imaged by Macrium Reflect v7.2
B
Rank
Malwarebytes PUP Criteria
EDIT < URL snipped as contrary to Community Guidelines >
B
Rank
Good article, JTR
 
At  the VERY least I think it should be required that all check-boxes for additional software be UNCHECKED by DEFAULT.
Finding the check-boxes for these piggy-backing PUA's is becoming increasingly harder. I've noticed some that are only visible if you select Advanced install (with vendors knowing full well that the word Advanced is enough to scare most users off).
R
Rank
Userlevel 7
This lawsuit will most definitely help the AV industry. I've seen enough crap ware and bundled software for a lifetime, its time to put a end to this type of practice.

Reply


Terms & Conditions

© 2004 - Webroot Inc.

We have recently updated our Privacy Policies. We encourage you to read the full terms here.