ComScore May Be Watching You…

ComScore Networks is a huge marketing research firm that recruits silly people who care nothing for their privacy in order to take virtual photos of every Web page viewed by those 1 million participants.

Unfortunately, you may be one of those “participants” without your consent or knowledge.

“[The] software is sneaking onto users’ computers without the user agreeing to receive it,” says Harvard University researcher Ben Edelman, who documented at least ten unauthorized comScore downloads. Eric Howes, director of malware research at antivirus company Sunbelt Software, and his researchers separately observed hundreds of unauthorized comScore downloads in a three-month period this fall.

Apparently ComScore is the only online marketing research firm that partners with “third parties,” which often becomes a euphemism for “slime-ball spyware dealers.” It pays to stay out of the bad neighborhoods, kids.

The rest of the story is at Forbes.