BonziBUDDY
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| BonziBUDDY | |
 BonziBUDDY promotional logo previously at BONZI.com |
|
| Developer: | BONZI Software |
|---|---|
| OS: | Microsoft Windows |
| Use: | Software agent |
| License: | Custom EULA |
| Website: | [1] |
Released in 1999 and discontinued in 2004, BonziBUDDY, sometimes spelled Bonzi Buddy, BonziBuddy, or BONZIBuddy, was an on-screen "intelligent software agent" from BONZI Software. The official website claimed it would help a person explore the Internet through various functions along with their own sidekick. It took the the form of an animated purple gorilla that resided on a user's desktop and communicated through the employment of Microsoft Agent technology.
It was labelled as spyware by Consumer Reports in 2002, though this charge was disputed by the company.
Contents |
Overview
The software used Microsoft Agent technology similar to Office Assistant,[1] and originally sported a green parrot character before it became the purple ape.[2] The software "interacts with users while they are online, providing shopping advice, jokes, and trivia."[3]
At one point, the official website for the application said this about it:
- He will explore the Internet with you as your very own friend and sidekick! He can talk, walk, joke, browse, search, e-mail, and download like no other friend you've ever had! He even has the ability to compare prices on the products you love and help you save money! Best of all, he's FREE! [4]
Reports of spyware
An article in Consumer Reports's Web Watch labels BonziBUDDY as spyware, stating that it is a Backdoor Santa in that it collects information from users. Among the activities the program is said to engage in include constantly resetting the user's web browser homepage to bonzi.com without the user's permission, prompting and tracking various information about the user, and serving advertisements.[5] Spyware Guide's entry on the program states that it installs automatically without user knowledge or consent via an ActiveX object in Internet Explorer.[6]
Legal
In the following two cases, the issue was not the issue of "spyware", a term which does not appear in any of the legal documents.
Internetnews.com reported the settlement of a class action suit on May 27, 2003. Originally brought against Bonzi Software on December 4, 2002, the suit accused Bonzi of using its banner advertisements of deceptively imitating Windows computer alerts, alerting the user that their IP Address is being broadcast. In the settlement, Bonzi agreed to modify their ads so that they looked less like a Windows dialogue box and to make them more obviously advertisements. [7][8]
On February 18, 2004, the Federal Trade Commission released a statement indicating that Bonzi Software, Inc. was ordered to pay $75,000 in fees, among other aspects, for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting personal information from children under the age of 13 with BonziBUDDY.[3]
References
- ^ Mark Hachman (2003-05-28). "Bonzi Buddy" Creator Settles Suit. ExtremeTech. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.
- ^ Counter Spy's entry on BonziBuddy. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.
- ^ a b UMG Recordings, Inc. to Pay $400,000, Bonzi Software, Inc. To Pay $75,000 to Settle COPPA Civil Penalty Charges. Federal Trade Commission (2004-02-18). Retrieved on 2006-09-07.
- ^ Bonzi.com. http://www.bonzi.com/bonzibuddy/bonzimail.asp. Retrieved July 10, 2005.
- ^ Robertson Barrett (2002-11-21). Five Major Categories of Spyware. Consumer Reports. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.
- ^ Spyware Guide's entry on BonziBUDDY. Retrieved on 2006-09-07.
- ^ Brian Morrissey (2003-05-27). Bonzi Settles Deceptive Ad Suit. internetnews.com. Retrieved on 2003-06-06. archive.org link
- ^ Brian Morrissey (2002-12-04). Bonzi Hit With Deceptive-Ad Complaint. internetnews.com. Retrieved on 2003-06-18. archive.org link
