ValueClick is having a REALLY bad day. 1st the news surfaces that <a href="http://affiliate-blogs.5staraffiliateprograms.com/1412/ebay-cj-affiliate-program.html">CJ is losing eBay</a>, probably it's biggest merchant - and now this. It's hitting the wires hard today that ValueClick has agreed to pay a record $2.9 million fine as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. ValueClick made no admission of guilt.
The charges resulted in the largest settlement amount the FTC has ever reached under Can-Spam. (This story was 1st released from what I can tell on Feb 18th, but the news is just <a href="http://www.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS220US221&ncl=1143412421&hl=en">hitting the press hard today</a> about it.)
<blockquote><strong><a href="http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9895699-7.html?tag=newsmap">Online advertiser to settle spam charges for record $2.9 million</a> - Cnet </strong>
"According to a federal court filing (PDF) released Monday, since at least early 2005, Westlake Village, Calif.-based ValueClick and its subsidiary Hi-Speed Media have been attempting to lure consumers to their Web sites through e-mails and Web-based ads bearing slogans like "Free PS3 for survey" or "let us buy you a 42 inch plasma tv! Just type in your zip code." The purpose of those operations was "lead generation"--that is, connecting consumers with advertisers trying to sell certain goods or services, the FTC complaint said." </blockquote>
The charges resulted in the largest settlement amount the FTC has ever reached under Can-Spam. (This story was 1st released from what I can tell on Feb 18th, but the news is just <a href="http://www.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS220US221&ncl=1143412421&hl=en">hitting the press hard today</a> about it.)
<blockquote><strong><a href="http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9895699-7.html?tag=newsmap">Online advertiser to settle spam charges for record $2.9 million</a> - Cnet </strong>
"According to a federal court filing (PDF) released Monday, since at least early 2005, Westlake Village, Calif.-based ValueClick and its subsidiary Hi-Speed Media have been attempting to lure consumers to their Web sites through e-mails and Web-based ads bearing slogans like "Free PS3 for survey" or "let us buy you a 42 inch plasma tv! Just type in your zip code." The purpose of those operations was "lead generation"--that is, connecting consumers with advertisers trying to sell certain goods or services, the FTC complaint said." </blockquote>
