jemjabella

Sneaky Tactics: Making Adverts Look Like the Browser Part 2

In 2008 I blogged about a site displaying adverts disguised as browser-style yellow bars and the risks associated with this shady tactic (especially if something a little more sinister than an advert were linked!)

Clearly nothing has changed in the past 2 years, because it's still happening.

I clicked through to an article in The Independent whilst using Google Chrome and saw:

Note the almost convincing Chrome-alike yellow notice bar across the top? It beggars belief that a respectable UK newspaper would use this sort of sneakery to push their new browser extension, especially as they've hijacked the Chrome icons to make it all the more convincing.

When did it become OK to prey on the ignorance of users?