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Earlier this week AOL released a free standalone antivirus program called Active Virus Shield. It's powered by Kaspersky's antivirus engine, known for its fast AV updates. It's also free for everyone, not just AOL users, so I thought I'd take a look. And right away I saw a note that sounds suspiciously like an ok to send spam.
I can't tell you too much about the program itself, because I haven't yet received the required e-mail activation. And the software is partially disabled without the code. Some things I can see do look good, like the potential to get signature updates as frequently as every hour, and the ability to fine-tune if and how it sends you different types of notifications.
But on the download page where you're prompted for your e-mail, there's this note: "You also agree to receive electronically from us periodic notices about Active Virus Shield and other services that may be of interest to you." That kind of language always catches my eye. So I copied the full (and lengthy) license agreement into the excellent EULAlyzer, which pointed out some interesting parts: Your APS Product information consists of personally identifiable information collected or received about you when you interact with the Software and its related features...
Your APS Product information may be shared with affiliates of AOL Premium Services LLC ("Affiliates"). Affiliates that receive your APS Product information may use this information according to their applicable privacy policies. As a condition for your use of the Software, you agree to receive promotions and periodic e-mail messages from us and our Affiliates. So basically, it looks to me like if you even download the software, you're agreeing to let AOL and any of its affiliates send you ads.
For comparison, I checked the install process and EULA for two other free standalone antivirus products, from Avast! and Antivir.
Avast! lets you use the product for 60 days without registration, but then you have to provide your e-mail address and other information to get a registration code. And Avast's privacy policy says: We use your personal information for the following purposes:
* To help us create and publish content most relevant to you.
* To alert you to product upgrades, special offers, updated information and other new services from ALWIL Software, if you so request. So maybe not too different there. But I didn't find anything in Avast's EULA about getting ads from third parties, and I didn't see anything in the registration process about it, either.
Antivir, on the other hand, creates its own serial number when you install. No need to provide an e-mail address or register, and Antivir says that while the serial number is sent with update requests, the number can't be traced back.
I need to point out that I haven't actually received any spam from AOL or "affiliates" after giving them multiple e-mail addresses in the hopes of getting an activation code. But if the EULA language is any indication, I might soon. Comments If someone offers me a free service I am currently paying $39 a year for, and the quid pro quo is a straight-forward desire expressed in the EULA to reach out to me with promotions on occasion, I know the choice I am making (and in this case, already made). I think the headline is way too sensational - something I always hate - if you wanted to make the case about EULAs,how about the process for signing up to Real Networks, and the way Real hides all the opt-in default checkmarks below the visible portion of the scroll boxes - now THAT's bad form, imho. Props for AOL in offering me a good free AV solution, and other firms for other good free products I use (my firewall provider being one) - I am adult enough to make decisions on whether or not to use stuff like this. Tags: McAfee Anti-Spyware, McAfee protects, McAfee, Spyware, Adware, anti-virus, free McAfee Anti-Spyware, free McAfee Anti-Spyware download, remove spyware, spyware protection, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Malware, Antivirus, viruses, virus, McAfee, malware, Security
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