WP: Big Firms Fail to Police Adware, Report Says

Big Firms Fail to Police Adware, Report Says
Glut of Pop-Ups Laid to Lapses; Ad Firm CEO Says It's No Different From TV
By Sara Kehaulani Goo
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 21, 2006; Page D05

Some of the biggest names in Internet advertising -- from Netflix to PeoplePC to GreetingCards.com -- not only are feeding into the annoying problem of pop-up ads but are also doing very little to keep their messages away from the self-installing software that fuels the pop-up ads, according to a report released yesterday by the Center for Democracy and Technology.

In many instances, computer users unintentionally install the advertising software -- known as adware -- when they respond to online solicitations, which rarely come from the advertisers themselves. The annoying ads, which are planted by a complicated web of ad companies and brokers that the advertisers use to help spread their messages online, tend to appear faster than computer users can close them and often lead to a computer slowdown, according to the report.

Netflix, which claims it is one of the top 10 online advertisers in the country, said the report's characterization of the company is unfair and that adware tactics are difficult to police.

"When the industry is affected by a problem trend, the largest participants are affected," said Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey. "We are very vigilant about this issue."

The report praised several firms, including America Online, Dell, Verizon and Major League Baseball, for having improved control over their advertising over the past year....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/20/AR2006032001657.html