Rival's new venture

[dominique]

Have a look:

RivalGaming


If you start the download, you get a permission request.

It has you agree to receive ads, popups, popunders etc and wants to optimize all your browsers for this.

It's kind of like adware with permission in exchange for being able to play some games.

[Guard Dog]

I can' say I'm surprised... but I'm surprised Rival seems to be on top of Social Media. These guys are still a joke. I would never give Rival access to my details. I'm all for figuring out what they are doing - but not through my own account!

[dominique]

Yep, I stopped at the permission request.

One can open accounts under any name at FB - and use that to investigate I guess.

I don't cherish the thought of adware on my computer so I'll pass.

[Engineer]

So apparently the adware is more profitable than the casino software? LOL.

[lots0]

The FB apps, allow you to ask for all that info and more.

I do think it's a little shady that they are trying to get MORE info than what FB automatically provides.. FB provides a LOT of user info to developers without the user having to give permission, all you have to do is use the app and the Developer gets your 'basic' FB info.

[dominique]

Well, the issue with this thing is that it is contextual.

Remember the old Gator?

It's like that. If people with this on their computer go to your site, it will slap Rival casino ads on top of them.

It steals your visitors.

[lots0]

Well, the issue with this thing is that it is contextual.

Remember the old Gator?

It's like that. If people with this on their computer go to your site, it will slap Rival casino ads on top of them.

It steals your visitors.

If that is the case, I think FB should remove the app per the DMCA and their own policies, once they are aware of what it does. You can report Malicious app's to FB through the link on the app’s "About" page

[dominique]

It isn't legally malicious if it asks your permission...

[lots0]

It isn't legally malicious if it asks your permission...

I don't know about that.

It is malicious to the original content provider who's advertising is covered up... and I'll bet they(the original content provider) didn't give permission for their content to be hijacked. Same reason that gator went away and never came back.

[dominique]

Gator did go away because we put so much unrelenting pressure on places in the industry that bought these ads. It didn't go away for legal reasons. It changed it's name because of the bad publicity connected to "Gator" and then, when that didn't work, it went away.

Back in Gator's day the aff community was a lot more cohesive. We could make things happen, because we stuck together.

Zynga was built on the very concept that Rival is using now. Zynga had a games site based on the same principle, and it also let clients bid on keywords like a PPC engine. And look at the huge, extremely profitable, legitimate company it is now.

But Zynga didn't concentrate on gaming sites. I bet Rival will....Rival isn't selling keywords to the public as far as I know.

As long as there is no legal issue, and there isn't if the software is only installed by permission, Rival is free to steal our visitors.

It would be interesting to know what Google thinks of it's search results being covered up by pops....