Page jacking allowed?

[Macro]

The funny thing is that I don't recall anything in the terms about trojans. If your trojan/adware/spyware/virus is changing people's browser homepage, for example, and putting your Adsense page as their default this doesn't seem to be againt the TOS. Anyone knows any better?

Seeing all the rubbish in the SERPS, the scraper scum sites running Adsense etc there's bound to be someone who'll try to replace your home page/add a bookmark/do some other "jacking" to get you to his page showing Adsense ads (if they haven't already done it).

Adsense bans showing the ads in pop-ups. What about activity like this where your software changes someone's default page?

[ronin]

If your trojan/adware/spyware/virus is changing people's browser homepage, for example, and putting your Adsense page as their default this doesn't seem to be against the TOS.

It would seem to be against the spirit of the TOS even if it isn't against the letter of the TOS.

[edited by: ronin at 3:07 pm (utc) on Dec. 2, 2004]

[Macro]

Hmm, yes. Much nicer if it was in the TOS itself because then a report could get the perpetrators taken out.

[ronin]

Perhaps they didn't want to give people ideas. >;->

[Jenstar]

You knew I'd pipe up quoting something ;)

From the policies:

Client Software
A site or third party cannot display our ads, search box, or search results as a result of the actions of any software application such as a toolbar. No Google ad or search box code may be pasted into any software application. We may not accept sites that are associated with some types of client-side software or offer these types of client-side software.

Spyware/Adware would definitely be considered client-side software. All it would take is one person whose PC is infected to complain to Google, and you'd be toast.

[Macro]

>>You knew I'd pipe up quoting something
It's called Jenstar baiting. :)

But then who knows the TOS better than you do? ;)

Thanks for the reply. That does clear it up.