Boing Boing: MSFT acquiring spyware firm, changes antispyware app to ignore its products

Thursday, July 7, 2005

MSFT acquiring spyware firm, changes antispyware app to ignore its products

Microsoft ~~recently acquired~~ is rumored to be acquiring a spyware company called Claria (known for its spyware product, Gator). They have since updated Windows' antispyware app so that it advises users to ignore Gator spyware.

Spyware researchers have noticed that the Windows antispyware application has downgraded Claria's Gator detections and changed the recommended action from 'quarantine' to 'ignore.'

Link

Update: Damien sez: "Microsoft have not actually acquired Claria, but were simply rumoured to be in negotiations to do so."

posted by Cory Doctorow at 07:48:17 AM permalink | Other blogs' comments

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