In a bit of joyous news, the FTC settled a claim against a company that created fake ads for virus-scanning software that popped up during games of Angry Birds on mobile devices using Android. Clicking^* on the ad apparently took you through some landing pages, but never to any workable anti-virus software. There reportedly was also malware involved, if a user tried to install the company’s software, and “cramming” – “when a company adds a charge to your phone bill for a service you didn’t order, agree to, or use.” The FTC even made reference to an internal email from the company that said they were “anxious to move [the] business out of being a scam and more into a valued service.” Whoops.

The company agreed to pay a $1.2 million fine, and to refund anything billed to consumers who installed their software and ended up with malware since December 8, 2011.

Does this make up for what is sure to be thousands of interrupted Angry Birds games? I don’t know about you, but on the occasions when I play Angry Birds, I do not like interruptions. I get even angrier than the birds.

In all serious, I have to wonder, at least partly in my capacity as a business owner, how any business thinks that it can go from a business model that involves tricking consumers into purchasing a product or service via their mobile phones to one that provides a “valued service.” I’m picturing a startup CEO issuing a statement that says something like “Now that you have been using our product for several months, wouldn’t you agree that it has become an indispensable part of your daily routine? In the end, who cares if you did not know it was on your phone at first?” The sad thing is that at least a few people might be convinced by that argument.

Photo credit: GrahamColm at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], from Wikimedia Commons.

^* What do you call it when the link or ad is on a touchscreen device? “Clicking” isn’t appropriate, obviously, but “touching” seems inappropriate on a different level.