Virgin Media Joins Typosquatting Club
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
Virgin ISP starts typosquatting.
European internet service provider Virgin Media is the latest ISP to start an error redirect service typosquatting operation. On an F.A.Q. on its web site, the company writes:
We are introducing this new service that we hope our customers will find useful. It’s designed to help you find the websites you’re looking for more easily. We think it offers a better customer experience and more convenience, but if you disagree, you can opt out in seconds, and you won’t see it again.
Like similar schemes, the first thing that will jump out at you when mistype a domain using Virgin Media is an ad. In an example shown at TheRegister, a typo of VirginMedia.com returns a paid ad for…Virgin Media.
Most major ISPs in the United States use such typosquatting schemes, even while they battle cybersquatters of their own trademarks. As I’ve written many times, these redirect services are inherently evil compared to domain parking; with basically all good generic domains registered these services serve up on 99% trademark typos.
Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner, and even computer manufacturers such as Gateway and Dell have used similar “error redirect” service.
(Via TheRegister)
Further Reading:
Virgin Media Joins Typosquatting Club – http://tinyurl.com/rys9hh
I blogged about how to opt out of Verizon and Comcast dns hijacking here.
Got to love how they put a positive spin on it.
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