Sneaky Software: AOL’s Bad
AOL 9.0 (free version) Status: Open Inquiry In our preliminary findings, we
find 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 automatically update 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 consistent with the recommendations in
this report. OVERALL RATING Badware Behavior Installs