ValueClick Spam Case - Record 2.9 Million Settlement

[Linda Buquet]

ValueClick is having a REALLY bad day. 1st the news surfaces that CJ is losing eBay, 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 hitting the press hard today about it.)

Online advertiser to settle spam charges for record $2.9 million - Cnet

"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."

[gallito89]

Wow, glad that I don't use CJ because I have a feeling that it may slide downhill a bit at the loss of ebay + bad publicity. The only reason I ever used CJ was for a brief stint with ebay which I may continue after the launch of their new program.