Unsuspecting consumers who install software, open attachments or merely visit certain Web sites can find themselves tethered to an unwanted start page every time they log on to the Net. Security experts say the practice is on the rise, but few people are technically savvy enough to understand what's actually going on when browser settings are switched.
"This is crossing the line when you start messing with people's home page preferences. At minimum, it's pretty rude," said Richard Smith, chief technology officer at the Privacy Foundation.
Pressed by tightening competition and a slowdown in online advertising dollars, some Web companies are stepping up efforts to boost traffic figures by any means necessary. Tactics pioneered in the online porn industry, such as launching pop-up windows and disabling a browser's "back" button, are finding increasing favor among mainstream sites.
While Web surfers may find such come-ons annoying, few are as intrusive as the practice of home page hijacking.
Not all home page switches are controversial. Installing new browser software or signing up with a new Internet service provider frequently triggers such changes without causing much of a fuss. More recently, however, companies have begun tinkering with browser settings in unexpected ways, angering surprised end users.
Just this week, for example, United Parcel Service apologised to some 200,000 customers over software provided by the delivery giant that took the liberty of switching home page settings to the UPS Web site.
Geez, if I did that to them, I would be prosecuted for hacking. Guess the laws written the the people don't apply to Companies.
Have a Nice Penguin Day..!
R Spinks