Stopbadware Report Release: AOL 9.0

StopBadware.org, the Berkman Center's consumer-oriented project that is working to find collaborative solutions to the badware problem, has just released a report documenting badware in AOL's 9.0:

In our preliminary findings, we found that AOL 9.0 (free version) is currently badware because it installs additional software without telling the user; it forces the user to take certain actions; it adds various components to Internet Explorer and the taskbar without disclosure; it may automaticallyupdate without the user's consent; and it fails to uninstall completely. We currently recommend that users do not install the version of AOL software that we tested, unless the user is comfortable with the level of risk we identify or until the application is updated to be consistent with the recommendations in this report.....

Click here to read the full report. You can check out coverage at CIO, Network World, and the New York Times. 

You can check out all of Stopbadware.org's reports here.

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