Maureen asks how the recent news concerning Google's banning of Incredimail will affect her
"I have been using IncrediMail and am a bit worried with the news that Google disabled all their ads with them for "spyware bombing" and violation of Google's terms of service. What is a spyware bomb? Thanks, Maureen.
Our Answer
Many of you have read that Google has banned Incredimail from its Adsense program. The multi-million dollar, publicly-traded company Incredimail and maker of adware "Incredimail" - relies on Google ads for 85% of their income many sources say. While the full story has not yet been revealed, speculation about Incredimail's alleged scurrilous activities include charges of spyware bombing. While this remains speculation, it comes from many reliable sources.
Spyware Bombing is spyware that is downloaded and installed to a computer remotely without notification to the user. As we've warned users many times, when you allow a program to access your computer remotely all the time (like Incredimail) your computer becomes vulnerable to furtive activities - such as installing new, potentially unwanted programs under the guise of "updates". Incredimail has always required an open connection between your computer and Incredimail's servers - this open connection is essentially a conduit - a pipe through which anything can be pumped from a server to your computer. Whether it's an update or a new program - it can be installed without your knowledge and while you're not even using your computer.
We pointed out, long ago that Incredimail's privacy policy was one of the very worst we've ever seen and nothing has changed in its privacy policy since we wrote about it in this article.
Is it legal for Incredimail to install software (as updates or anything else they decide you should have) on your computer without your knowledge? It sure is. Why? Because by installing Incredimail you LEGALLY agree to their privacy policy, End User License Agreement, and Terms of Use. To us the most incredible thing about Incredimail is that they can get people to install it and thereby agree to their shocking Privacy Policy which states (this is verbatim):
"...CONSENT TO PROCESSING
Users, including without limitation, Users in the European Union, fully understand and unambiguously consent to the collection and processing of their personally identifiable and non-personally identifiable information, in the United States. ..."
That anyone would agree to the "unambiguous" collection of their personally identifiable information astonishes us. Yet, apparently, tens of thousands have traded their "personally identifiable information" for an E-mail program that sends stationery. Whether Incredimail users know it or not, they are legally bound by to this (and Incredimail's EULA and Terms of Use). They can collect from you what you will; they can install software on your computer without your knowledge as they wish; you gave them permission (legally) to do it - and you have no remedy under the law no matter what.
Perhaps Google has become the first big company to actually see through Incredimail's smoke screen - and if so, we feel pretty darn good, we were the very first to see through it. Are they spyware bombing? We don't know, but we know if Google bans you, you are doing something very bad.
If Incredimail ever recovers from the loss of 85% of its revenue, let's hope they come back as a company that cares about its users as much as it does its bottom line. Their ludicrous privacy policy remains one of the worse we've ever seen and shows not one bit of concern their users' privacy.
Note: There are literally hundreds of news stories about Google banning Incredimail from its Adsense program. You can start with this article - there are many, many more. It's big news because Incredimail is a publicly-traded company and and stockholders have a right to know what the company is up to. An 85% drop in gross revenue would put most small caps out of business. We'll see what happens in the coming months.
Stay tuned. Maybe it won't be too long before we can tell you - "See? We told you so!"
8 comments:
Well said. Incredimail has been getting away with a lot of sneaky things for a long time. I wonder if Google finally read Incredimail's privacy policy?
I have heard a lot about how hard, once installed on your computer, Incredimail is to remove. I am not really surprised hearing about this latest news, with Google banning them. Surprisingly enough, I USED Incredimail on my old computer and thank God I found out about the difficulties with removing the program before I re-installed it on my new PC!
Thanks Cloudeight, for being on the ball with the latest!
Well done!!
I find it incredulous that on the very page you write about Google banning Incrdi-Mail, in your free newsletter, off to the right is an ad by Google advertising an Incredi-Mail download !
I think my husband and I got taken in by Incredimail because we didn't understand the privacy policy (and probably didn't try very hard to decipher it). But we got stuck and find it impossible to get rid of, to say nothing of transferring info like addresses to another email. I just got a new computer (an iMac) to try and solve my problem because I trully beleive Incredimail was the cause of my computer's destruction and loss of all info stored on it! Any help or advice for removing this dastardly villian from my husbands pc would be greatly appreciated.
Gramms and Grandpa J
I have been waiting for incredimail to update my gold gallery since Aug.9,2007. I paid with paypal and am still waiting for them to update it. I have sent them the reciepts for the seconed time. I am just not happy and have never had any trouble with uninstallation. I don't know if I will unstall or not. I am not happy with my situation but they have been worderful about keeping in touch with me about this problem. I will just have to pray about it. So many like me don't understand the lengo about so many things. I thank Google for keeping things updated. Have a wonderfully blessed day. Sincerely, bluegesmo@sbcglobal.net
I used to use incredimail when I first got my computer and I started getting a lot of spam. I was told by others that they also had simular problems. I was going to email someone in my address book when I noticed a strange address in it, when I checked the properties of this address, nothing showed up. Like it didn't exist.But when I first open my address book right by my friend's address was this other 1. Almost like an extension. I tried wiping out all the names and addresses and retyped them in manually. It kept coming back.I checked on the net and it turned out to be a tracking cookie. Any 1 I sent messages to was being tracked by incredimail. I liked the program but my mail is private so I got rid of it. What I have been wondering is, can it still track my mail through friends that still use this program when they email me.
I have no idea what a spyware bomb is. Have triple security on computer here too.
I use incredimail. Have done so since 2001. I love that we can have beautiful backgrounds instead of white , with the option of font and colour change.
The problem they speak of, I have heard many a time. There was a program available that will tell you if you have this 'incredimail hook' and it removes it. However, I don't know what the incredimail hook is, and I can't remember the name of the program.
We could also say the same for windows updates. They could be potentially full of spyware also - passing to Microsoft any information.
We have to place trust - quite a fickle thing in todays world. Hard to gain, find, give, and oh so easily destroyed.
If incredimail is banned...goes down the gurgler due to it's unworthy privacy policy - outlook express anyone? Backgrounds for outlook express here we come.
Then, if outlook express is banned....watch out posties, more snail mail!
Seems to me, perhaps the people banning don't like art that much, if at all, least of all in email.
Instead of banning graphics, stationaries, tags etc, there should be security programs available to stop any stealing of your information,
Unwanted spyware etc.
When saying 'I accept' any privacy policy...you are not really getting a choice. You may agree with some of a policy, and not other things.
I don't believe it is legal for them to word it the way they do, the way anyone does. I think it is wrong. If one does not wish their email address given out to another without their express permission, then that is the way it should be. If one does not wish their information given to another without consent, then that is the way it should be.
The freedom of choice should not be taken away from anyone for anything.
I know incredimail is foreign owned. However, I don't know if it is Japanese. If I discover it is Japanese owned. I will be deleting it. And leaving all incredimail groups.
As I am boycotting all Japanese owned companies due to their senseless and cruel whaling.
And, yes. Incredimail is extremely difficult to remove from the computer fully. one has to do a format to completely remove everything to do with incredimail.
Thanks so much for your rant and the information.
It is gratifying to see the respected entity of Google, to turn down profits by doing the right thing. Banning all Incredimail ads.
I do hope this spells doom for the Incredimail company. More of these companies need to be taken down. What a huge blow to the miscreants who prey on people's ignorance.
My thanks to you for all your advice given to us over the years. I pass your information on whenever appropriate. You do make a difference Cloudeight!
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