FreezeColdCash Screensaver installs adware

[dwergs]

I've been a little naive... Getting $0,35 per installation of a cool free screensaver is indeed too good to be true.

After installing the Waterfalls screensaver of freeze.zom (publisher program @ freezecoldcash.com), Adaware reports over 10 unsollicited changes made by the setup... including desktop icons & added registry keys. That is, when you're actually trying to get a clean install and UNTICK all 'hey! install our sponsor too' boxes. I'm refusing to try what a 'blind' installation results in.

Strange fact: Freeze.com is actually recommending Lavasoft's Ad-aware on their homepage.

Anyway, just a heads up...

[Rhea]

Not so strange that they're recommending AdAware -- it probably makes people think their application is 'clean'.

I wouldn't recommend or promote anything on my web sites that involves a download unless I'd downloaded it myself and checked it out first and done due diligence to make sure it's squeaky clean (Google Groups, www.doxdesk.com).

I learned my lesson after promoting Alexa for months. Mistakes happen -- don't beat yourself up too much.

[Timo]

Ah well, learn and move on

Freeze is being promoted on burst as well on a cpm basis. It installs whenu and n e w. n e t and btw ignored child privacy laws when I tested it.

Too bad that this kind of stuff is so prevalent in the ad networks. Now I don't allow any campaigns from burst to run unless I approve them.

If you have a dedicated audience and they have downloaded a lot, you may want to promote adaware or lavasoft to help your users get rid of it or you can start kissing your CPA network commissions goodbye.

[ryanjweber]

Hello to all, my name is Ryan Weber EVP at Freeze.com. I wanted to follow up and describe the software bundles we offer as part of our installation process. These bundles directly effect what we pay out to affiliates. This post is based on today's installation, of course we could change at any time.

First, I am sure we are all aware that ADAWARE reports are not fully descriptive.

If you install our screen saver .exe you will be walked through full page offers that explain and provide a full privacy policy for each partner we have bundled, allowing the user to uncheck the bundle if they choose they are not interested.

Our partners include popular news service Forbes, Weatherbug, Whenu, and New.net.

The user's are not presented and uncheck option for New.net, it is a mandatory install if you want to complete the screen saver installation.

If you uncheck the others they are not installed. Additionally, we do place a screen saver upgrade icon, and a few other icons on the user's desktops which are nothing more than links to partner offers (no software installed with these).

We gladly invite affiliates to offer feedback to us, if we find reports of misuse by our partners we will consider pulling them. But it is in our effort to take the best partners and best revenue partners we can to better serve our affiliate partners and the end user.

Regards,
Ryan J. Weber
EVP
Freeze.com

[Czar]

Welcome to Geek/Talk Ryan, and thanks for the straight-forward approach to your response.

Just so that you are aware, we do have strong policies against scumware/theftware applications within this community, so many of our publishers are unlikely to respond particularly well to the inclusion of WhenU within the bundle. Nevertheless, knowing that there is, at least, an opt-out feature associated with this does reduce the barrier to your program's adoption somewhat.

[Timo]

Ryan,

Why do you allow installs if the person is under the age of 13? Last week I tested it and after giving my birthdate of jan1 2001 it allowed me to continue DL?

Why does new.net not allow a full uninstall? Why are the users not given a choice? As long as it doesn't do a full uninstall I fully support it being listed on adaware and S&D.

Whenu is is designed to collect and poach our commissions by redirecting our traffic. Why would I want to promote that? I promote affiliate programs, and so do many of the people on this forum. You can't be serious in thinking we would happily accept it?

What I find most disappointing is that you being a former "Entrepreneur of the Year" should be setting an example, not going the parasite route. I was hoping that you were promoting these programs out of lack of knowlege, but given your resume I can't understand how that would be possible.

Tim