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Ben Edelman examines software from coupons.com.

I recently examined software from Coupons.com. At first glance their approach seems quite handy. Who could oppose free coupons? But a deeper look reveals troubling behaviors I can’t endorse. This piece summarizes my key concerns:

  • Installing with deceptive filenames and registry entries that hinder users’ efforts to fully remove Coupons’ software. Details.
  • Failing to remove all Coupons.com components upon a user’s specific request. Details.
  • Assigning each user an ID number, and placing this ID onto each printed coupon, without any meaningful disclosure. Details.
  • Allowing third-party web sites to retrieve users’ ID numbers, in violation of Coupons.com’s privacy policy. Details.
  • Allowing any person to check whether a given user has printed a given coupon, in violation of Coupons.com’s privacy policy. Details.

Link here.

Alex Eckelberry