Other LanguagesSEATTLE – The Washington Attorney General’s Office is accusing a Scottsdale, Ariz., man of coercing consumers to buy software to block computer pop-ups by first bombarding them with ads for pornography and Viagra. In a civil lawsuit filed today in King County Superior Court in Seattle, the state alleges that consumers who downloaded the software were further victimized when the program caused their computers to stealthily blast messages to other PCs at a rate of one every two seconds.
OLYMPIA – Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced that MySpace has agreed to take significant steps to better protect children on its Web site. McKenna joined attorneys general nationwide in signing an agreement with MySpace that creates an industry-wide task force to develop technology to verify the age and identity of users.
SEATTLE – The Washington Attorney General’s Office announced today that it filed a petition to enforce a court order concerning Internet Advancement, a Redmond-based company that sells search-engine optimization services for thousands of dollars to small businesses.
OLYMPIA – More than 5,000 Washington residents become victims of identity theft each year according to reports from the Federal Trade Commission. That ranks Washington in the top 10 states for per capita victim reports. Attorney General Rob McKenna will visit Oak Harbor on Thursday, Oct. 18, to help raise awareness of identity theft prevention and assist the public in keeping sensitive documents out of the hands of crooks.
SEATTLE – Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a settlement with one of three California-based Internet affiliate advertisers accused of violating the state’s consumer protection and spyware laws. HoanVinh V. Nguyenphuoc, owner of FixWinReg, sent anonymous “Net Send” messages to consumers’ computers that simulated security warnings but were actually ads for registry-cleaner software, according to documents filed today in King County Superior Court.
Seattle - Attorney General Rob McKenna and Comcast Senior Vice President Mitch Bowling met today to kick off Internet Safety Month and to discuss efforts to increase parental awareness of the tools available to keep their children safe on the Internet. McKenna has recorded public service announcements with McGruff the Crime Dog about Internet safety for kids that will run on Comcast in Washington over the next couple of months.
Seattle - Attorney General Rob McKenna and Comcast Senior Vice President Mitch Bowling will hold a media availability on Thursday, Oct. 4 focusing on increasing parental awareness of the tools available to keep their children safe on the Internet. Attorney General McKenna will also unveil PSA spots that will be aired on Comcast beginning this month, which is Internet Safety Month and National Crime Prevention Month.
SEATTLE – Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced that thousands of Washington consumers are eligible for refunds under a settlement with the operators of www.privasafe.com and www.surfsafeinternetservices.com that could ultimately cost the defendants $1 million.
SEATTLE – Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna today announced a $1 million settlement with New York-based Secure Computer that resolves Washington’s first lawsuit under the state’s computer spyware law. An estimated 1,145 Washington residents who purchased the company’s Spyware Cleaner software and, in some cases, Popup Padlock are eligible for refunds under the agreement filed in federal court.
BURIEN – Attorney General Rob McKenna wants parents to know that cyberspace is not a safe place for kids and teens to explore without Internet safety awareness. McKenna announced a new multi-agency partnership this week that uses Internet safety education as a tool to protect youth from online predators, pornography, and cyberbullies.