There’s been much ballyhoo about Eliot Spitzer and his crusade du jour – this time he’s after spyware and adware. The company in his crosshairs: Intermix Media Inc.
Mr. Spitzer is accusing Intermix of redirecting computer users to Web sites where ads get displayed, adding unnecessary toolbars to Web browsers and delivering unwanted ads that pop up on computer screens.
It would be great if he were to be successful here, and I suppose his people tell him it’s a big problem. Otherwise, why would the would-be governor of New York grandstand with this issue?
He’s had success as “The People’s Lawyer” when he probed brokerage pratices, but he’s batting .000 against online advertising companies so far.
I’m inclined to think he is locked and loaded this time around. There have been shudders across the Internet already. Perhaps the timing was coincidental, but CNET recently announced it was removing nearly 600 programs from its popular Download.com service under a new ban on “adware”.
And it’s being floated on The Internet Stock Blog that the efforts by Spitzer could have damaging effects on a laundry list of Internet stocks: ASKJ, CD, CNET, FLWS, FWHT, IACI, ICGE, INPC, SPRK, TFSM, THK, TSG, VLCK, and YHOO.
Is Eliot Spitzer just another New York pol/media hound (why didn’t Chuck Schumer think of going after spyware?!), or is he going to clean things up?