The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that Enternet Media has agreed to pay more than $2 million to settle with the agency for spyware charges.
The FTC brought a complaint in federal court last fall against California-based Enternet, along with Conspy&C, Lida Rohbani, Nima Hakimi, and Baback Hakimi, for its invasive programs. Some of these include "Search Miracle," "Miracle Search," "EM Toolbar," "EliteBar" and "Elite Toolbar." The court also froze Enternet's assets and ordered the operations shut down.
According to the complaint, the defendents and their affiliates enticed users into installing spyware under the guise of offering supposed freeware music files, cell phone ring tones, photographs, wallpaper and song lyrics.
Instead, the software allegedly tracked internet activity, changed homepage settings and installed special display windows for pop-up ads that would show even when the Internet browser was not activated.
As a part of the settlement all of the defendants are permanently prohibited from distributing spyware that interferes with computer users.
The FTC's case was brought with the help of Microsoft, Webroot Software and Google.
