AIM 5.5 popup ad

shadowhawk · 2004/02/06

I downloaded an AIM theme from picgames and installed it to my AIM 5.5. Just after I got it installed, this ad popped up saying I had spyware on my computer and that I should download a scanner that it linked to.

edit: I just got done running a spyware check with Spybot and it listed Wild Tangent as spyware! It installed along with AIM 5.5. I was able to get rid of everything but the driver folder. Will getting rid of Wild Tangent cripple AIM?

yourbuddy · 2004/02/06

If AIM contains Spyware, why would you want it??

shadowhawk · 2004/02/06

Because I've been using it for years. If I can separate AIM from the spyware I'll use it.

Zander · 2004/02/06

I can't tell you what effect it will have on AIM, but my guess is that it won't cripple it. If you've already gotten rid of most of it, I would think you could just rename the folder you mentioned and then run AIM and see what happens. You can always rename it back.

shadowhawk · 2004/02/06

Oh yeah! Good idea! Thanks!

Zander · 2004/02/06

Your welcome.

shadowhawk · 2004/02/10

I uninstalled all the spyware (Wild Tangent and the AOD folder), but the pesky popup remains. I put its server in my HOSTS file. Hopefully that stops it cold.

noahdfear · 2004/02/10

Pesky indeed! I battled with both Wild Tangent and AOD for quite some time. Took out everyting that didn't directly relate to AIM before it was all said and done, registry and all. Go thru this deleteing **** everytime I update AIM!

shadowhawk · 2004/02/11

I think I purged Wild Tangent and AOD. Is there anything else I need to look for? The problem for me is I don't know what's directly related to AIM and what's just bloat. I don't want to risk rendering the program unfunctional by taking out too much.

miniB · 2004/02/13

This is an extract taken from Spyware Info's. newsletter which may interest you about 'Wild Tangent'

Most people will agree that AOL's internet service software is bloated. It is invasive and unnecessary to install that sort of software to connect to the internet. For that matter, no ISP software at all should be necessary for an internet connection.

Recently, however, AOL has sunk to a new low. Both AOL's internet software and the AOL Instant Messenger program (AIM) are force installing unwanted software called Viewpoint Media Player on people's computers.

There is no option to not install Viewpoint. In fact, if you remove Viewpoint, it will be reinstalled the next time you load AOL! I could hardly believe it when the first person reported this at the message board. Then a dozen more people showed up to report the same thing.

Viewpoint Media Player displays certain multimedia content over the internet. I discovered this software on my own machine last April and I DID NOT AT ALL like finding it there. The reason for that can be found in their Privacy Policy

The software creates a unique tracking number ( "Customer Unique Identifier" is their term). This number and other information is transmitted, without asking, to Viewpoint servers. The software downloads updates and installs them on the computer, also without asking.

The privacy policy states that "The Viewpoint Media Player will soon be capable of tracking information about the content it displays and how the user interacts with it. When the Viewpoint Media Player displays Viewpoint content, it tracks the URL it is served from, as well as Viewpoint file data tagged by the author in XML. This data can include, but is not limited to: the names of objects and textures displayed, and the names of animations invoked."

Combine all that with the fact that it is installed without permission or proper disclosure. I'm sorry, but you do not install software on my computer that transmits data across the internet without my permission. For that matter, you don't install any software on my computer without my permission, period.

After finding this thing on my computer last year, I sent Viewpoint a letter asking how it is distributed. From their reply, I determined that AIM had installed it. I then downloaded a fresh copy of AIM from AOL's web site and installed it again (I had removed it months earlier). There was absolutely no disclosure whatsoever that it was going to bundle Viewpoint.

There are other things that AOL software does. For instance, some software such as Netscape and ICQ 2000b will insert free.aol.com into Internet Explorer's "Trusted" security zone. When you put a web site in the "Trusted" zone, Internet Explorer will allow that site to download, install and execute any piece of software completely without interaction with the user.

The reason for AOL inserting that entry became clear when we started spotting ActiveX files from free.aol.com in people's HijackThis log files at the message board. AOL is inserting their web site into the "Trusted" zone so that they can install software without the user knowing they are doing it!

AIM is adware. That is, it displays a small banner ad in the program and it also pops up an advertisement window when you launch it. Recently, AIM has even started to download movie trailers and play them at random intervals. You heard me, AOL is using peoples' internet connection to download huge video files in order to play movie trailers.

Both AOL's internet service software and AIM also install a piece of software called Wild Tangent, again without asking. Wild Tangent is used to play games and other multimedia. Some Winamp plugins also use it. The problem with Wild Tangent is that it installs an autoupdater and turns it on by default.

Wild Tangent's updater will transmit data about the computer on which it is installed. That data includes hardware specs, some information about installed software and how the user is interacting with the software. The company says this is done to see how their software is used and that they might share it with third parties. Several antispyware products detect and remove Wild Tangent.

When are software developers going to understand that they cannot transmit data from a person's machine without their permission? There are laws forbidding data theft, so why are they allowed to do this? When are they going to understand that they cannot download and install software without permission?

AOL has been losing more subscribers over the past couple of years than they have gained. They are going to lose far more if they don't change this behavior
Click to expand...

noahdfear · 2004/02/15

miniB,

Good info. Thanks! That should also be posted here, in my opinion.

Shadowhawk,

Unless you remove something that has messenger or Aim in its name/directory/sub directory, you won't have to worry about disabling it.

Dennis L · 2004/02/15

free, with no spyware and no ads......
AIM program alternatives, with AIM (server) connectivity.

Trillian -or- Gaim

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