It all started when AIM users received instant messages that appeared to be from friends with some shocking news to share. (The headline read: "Osama captured.") But the messages were actually sent by BuddyLinks, a program designed to both send IM spam and collect information about your surfing habits. What a brilliant combination of the capabilities of computer viruses, Trojan horses, and pesky spyware--all in one deceptive package.

No buddy of mine
I say: Get rid of BuddyLinks. The question, of course, is how. If you've already installed it on your computer, there are ways to remove the app and thus cut down on the amount of IM spam circulating on the Net. But the truth is we need to not install software like this in the first place. And the way to do that is to read the end-user license agreements (EULAs) before installing new programs, especially with software that's offered for free.

BuddyLinks is a program designed to both send IM spam and collect information about your surfing habits.

PSDTools, the company that created BuddyLinks, says on its Web site that "BuddyLinks brings together the best aspects of P2P apps, social networking software, and instant messaging to form a single, powerful tool." But I fail to see how you and I really benefit from this tool.

The company also claims that in future releases, "users will be able to harness our software to automatically transmit information--whether it be job openings, party invitations, jokes, or potential dates--to their entire network of instant-messaging buddies, all with just the click of a button." OK, but in the short term, I see this tool being used primarily to send an endless stream of instant-messaging spam, or spim, and to give marketers the ability to spy on you.

What confuses me is that if BuddyLinks is such a revolutionary new product with so many great uses, how come most of the world found out about it only because it sent a fake message announcing the capture of al-Qaida's leader?

Another claim on the BuddlyLinks Web page is that you can use it to "send your buddies games and hilarious news spoofs." Now, that's true. By agreeing to the EULA for BuddyLinks, you also agree to download a program that might be a game or a Flash cartoon. But, if you read the fine print, the agreement also allows PSDTools and its surrogates to broadcast solicitations to everyone on your Buddy List and to plant cookies on your computer that record information about your Web surfing habits.

Installers, beware
Want out? While the site claims that you can use the Windows Uninstaller to remove the program, there are reports that the cookies remain. PSDTools claims on its site that "no cookie used by [BuddyLinks] collects or distributes personal information to third parties for marketing purposes." But the next sentence of this paragraph explains that the suppliers of content are able to do as they choose with the information collected by your computer.

I know it's a pain, but, please, at least skim through the EULA on any software you install before clicking I Agree.

This lets PSDTools off the hook. It says that you are responsible for reading the privacy policies of each new game or content site that BuddyLinks leads you to. If you have teenagers at home, I'm willing to bet they won't read about each new game BuddyLink sends them; they'll just start playing.

I know it's a pain, but, please, at least skim through the EULA on any software you install before clicking I Agree. It could save your system and your personal privacy from being invaded. Not to mention that it could also cut down on the amount of spam and spim sent on the Net.

So what can you do? If you receive spim, don't click any links it contains. Just ignore it. If you've already installed BuddyLinks, there's still hope. I recommend downloading either Spybot Search and Destroy or Lavasoft Ad-aware. These apps will remove the advertising hooks placed by spyware, including BuddyLinks, no matter what their source.

Remember, it's your computer. Don't let slick marketing promotions compromise your privacy. If you read the fine print, you can make sure they won't.

What do you think? Should marketing tools such as BuddyLinks be banned from the Net? Why or why not? Tell me about it--TalkBack to me!