First, I want to point out that I'm primarily an MSN Messenger guy. With only a few exceptions, everyone I care about is there. I keep AOL Instant Messenger around for those exceptions.
A few days ago, I installed a fresh copy of AIM after reformatting my system for "spring cleaning" and I couldn't help but notice a copy of the Viewpoint Media Player, a company largely considered to be creators of Spyware, came along with it. Was AOL distributing and installing Spyware on my PC without my permission by using AIM to get it there??
The problem with Viewpoint Media Player is not that it's inherently bad when it's initially installed. AOL claims it's what drives all the cute AIM animations (ironically, I don't think many tears would be shed if I couldn't see those adorable animations, but that's a topic for another blog). They also claim that it's required. In fact, if you un-install it, the next time you start AIM, it happily re-installs it for you without telling you.
The problem with all of this is that I didn't ask for it, I didn't know why it was installed on my machine, and my firewall was suddenly reporting that it was attempting to access the internet. All things that have come to be associated with Spyware.
In this case, however, Viewpoint swears they're not spyware (they have a "clean bill of health", they say, with many different spyware removal companies).
So what are they really doing that's got me so upset? Well, the payload they're delivering with AIM, by itself, appears pretty harmless. However, after a few days, you get this popup on the bottom-right-hand corner of your screen that looks very similar to the Windows Update popup. The purpose is to politely inform you that Viewpint Media Player has fresh updates that are ready to download, and if you'd like to download these updates, just click the "I accept" checkbox and push the "Update" button. (Note: There is no cancel button, and no other way to make this dialog box go away that I could find).
Upon reading the terms and conditions I was being forced to agree to in order to make this popup window go away, I learned that the software creates a unique tracking number ("Customer Unique Identifier" is their term). This number and other information is transmitted, without asking, to Viewpoint servers. The software downloads updates and installs them on the computer, also without asking.
The privacy policy states that "The Viewpoint Media Player will soon be capable of tracking information about the content it displays and how the user interacts with it. When the Viewpoint Media Player displays Viewpoint content, it tracks the URL it is served from, as well as Viewpoint file data tagged by the author in XML. This data can include, but is not limited to: the names of objects and textures displayed, and the names of animations invoked." -In other words, it collects information about what I'm looking at and sends it, without my permission or knowledge, across the internet to someone I have no relationship with or knowledge of.
Regarding whether or not Viewpoint is spyware - I say if it looks like a duck, it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck - no amount of marketing is going to make me view it as anything other than a duck.
I've removed AIM from my computer for good. Those people I was communicating with over AIM will either have to email me, use MSN Messenger, or pick up the phone. However, I would encourage all users of AIM to immediately stop using their network, as they're clearly alligning themselves with some pretty shady companies on the internet, and, in effect, they're clearly responsible for installing spyware onto my PC. These types of actions, I believe, should be illegal, and congress is working dilligently to pass laws that make it so.
I would encourage everyone to remove AOL Instant Messenger and Viewpoint Media Player from their PC's as quickly as possible.