An independent spyware analyst accuses Yahoo of supporting spyware by distributing PPC ads to them.


Yahoo is allowing spyware and adware programs to use ads of advertisers who pay yahoo for distributing their ads.

Spyware resides in the user’s computer without their knowledge. It is usually bundled with free software. Spyware sends back personal information without the user’s knowledge. In adware, ads are displayed when the software is used. This could be in the form of pop-ups or ads embedded into the software. To know more about spyware and adware click here.

Yahoo Search Marketing allows users of yahoo search to see ads from its advertising network. Advertisers submit their ads to Yahoo on pay-per-click (PPC) basis, which means they pay Yahoo a fee everytime users click on their ads.

Yahoo has various syndicate partners and the ads are shown in the partners’ sites also.

According to Benjamin Edelman, “serious concerns arise where Yahoo syndicates advertisers’ ads to be shown by advertising software installed on users’ PCs — software typically known as spyware or adware. In my testing, Yahoo’s support of spyware is widespread and prevalent — an important source of funding for many spyware programs, bankrolling infections of millions of users’ PCs. Were it not for Yahoo’s funding of these programs, the programs would be far less profitable — and there would be fewer such programs trying to sneak onto users’ PCs.”

To read the entire report click here.

Sharing is caring