Zedo
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Internet marketing |
| Founded | September 1999 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, USA |
| Key people | Roy de Souza, Co-Founder/CEO, Joseph Jacob, CTO and Carl Kaiser, VP of Sales |
| Products | Zedo Ad Server (Publishers, Marketers, Networks) Network Optimization (Publishers) Behavioral Targeting (Networks) |
| Website | www.zedo.com |
Zedo (trademark styled as ZEDO) is a privately-held company founded in 1999 by Roy de Souza, which provides several online advertising products and services to websites, ad networks and direct publishers.[1] The company works with publishers who sell space on their web pages to online advertisers. Zedo builds software technology that allows publishers to manage all the ads on their web pages. Zedo uses an HTTP cookie to track users' browsing history resulting in targeted pop-up ad and pop-under ads. The cookie is often flagged by spyware and adware removal programs.[2]
Contents |
[edit] History
Zedo began in 1999. The company headquarters is located in the North Beach district of San Francisco, California.[3] Their servers send advertisements to users' browsers.[4] In 2001, it expanded by offering the ad-serving technology to large websites. Zedo has also experimented with creating its own social networking sites. In 2006, it launched a social networking site where users get shopping advice from friends who own products called Zebo.com.[5]
According to a 2006 press release, Zedo was the third largest ad server.[6] Clients have included Quepasa, Walt Disney India, and CNET.[7]
[edit] Criticism
Zedo is often linked to the controversy over spyware[8] because Zedo uses HTTP cookies to track users' browsing and advertisement viewing history,[9][10] as well as the methods which it gathers information, such as deceptive ads and clickjacking. The company disputes being categorized as spyware.[11]
Zedo does offer an opt-out option.[12] But, Opt Out of Zedo only makes the ads random & redundant. There is no effect at all on the objectionable Zedo functions: the number of ads, profile development (cookies), and their use (spying).[13]
Programs such as Spybot - Search & Destroy quarantine Zedo software as adware so that users can remove it from their computer.[2]
Technologist Danny Sullivan has stated that Zedo carries misleading "junk" ads linking to fake news sites.[14]
[edit] References
- ^ "Internet advertising: Top of the pops". The Independent. 2002-10-07. http://news.independent.co.uk/business/analysis_and_features/article139271.ece. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
- ^ a b Kaye, Kate (September 13, 2006). "Anti-Spyware Programs Snare Ad Cookies, Google Cookies Evade All". ClickZ.com. http://www.clickz.com/3623415. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Heim, Sarah J. (2001-07-21). "Zedo Ad Serving Technology puts consumers in control". AllBusiness.com. http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/internet-marketing/4443401-1.html. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
- ^ Tedeschi, Bob (April 30, 2007). "Got Roomfuls of Stuff? Now Sites Will Help Keep Track of It". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/technology/30ecom.html.
- ^ Smith, Nicole Flynn (April 2006). "Zedo now industry's third largest ad server with Falk transition" (Press release). Zedo. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pwwi/is_200604/ai_n16121481. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
- ^ "Zedo Ad Serving : Press". www.zedo.com. http://www.zedo.com/press/pressrelease-11052004.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
- ^ "Spyware Detail : Zedo". Computer Associates. 2004-08-16. http://ca.com/securityadvisor/pest/pest.aspx?id=453074269. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
- ^ Dixon, Pam (2004-09-01). "Opt-Out Cookie Links". World Privacy Forum. http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/cookieoptout.html. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ "Anti-Spyware". Zedo. http://www.zedo.com/company/anti-spyware.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-28.
- ^ "Opt Out". Zedo. http://www.zedo.com/company/optout.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Zedo, Inc.. "Opt Out of the ZEDO Cookie". zedo.com. http://www.zedo.com/company/optout.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
- ^ Danny Sullivan. "Of Misleading Acai Berry Ads & Fake Editorial Sites". daggle.com. http://daggle.com/misleading-acai-berry-ads-fake-editorial-sites-2435. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
