People who create viruses have always been the bottom feeders of the Internet industry, closely associated with spammers. Because of the growing problem, laws now exist that penalize anyone sending unsolicited email, who doesn’t provide an opt-out feature to ensure that names/emails are not given away without your permission.

There is a new scourge in the Internet industry – social viruses – and the king of this segment is MyLife. Recently, while doing a research project for a client, I happened to visit this site, based on my Google search. Boy am I sorry I did!

MyLife takes data from sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, etc and compiles the information together into a large database. They boast on their website about how many visitors they have. Well, let me tell you how they get those “visitors”.

When you enter the site their technology secretly enters your computer looking for your contact database. (This is the same method that a virus uses) It then begins sending messages to your contacts telling them that you would like them to join MyLife.

I spent almost half a day sending out apologies to friends and clients stating that I never joined MyLife and never authorized any communication. (How embarrassing!)

I have now learned that MyLife is sending emails to contacts who received my email, reminding them to accept my invitation! This is some pretty insidious technology.

I look forward to learning from colleagues in the technology sector how people can protect themselves from this new type of virus. In the meantime, do not click on the MyLife site and do not open emails with MyLife in the title.

More on this topic later.

Posted in Marketing Mentor |

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