Invasion of the Innocuous
November 17th, 2005
Recently, users of AOL’s Instant Messenger service - and I am one of them (well, actually, I use Trillian, but I digress) - discovered that their buddy lists had swelled by two new names: MovieFone and ShoppingBuddy. The two new friends you mysteriously made are in fact little ‘bot’ programs that respond to cues with predetermined replies. In the case of the MovieFone bot, for instance, you could send it your zip code and receive a rundown of showtimes at the local cineplexes. Pretty innocuous, right? After all, when AOL debuted the system, every user got a message from the AIM System informing them just what was going on - including specifically telling users that the bots could be deleted from buddy lists if unwanted just like any other presence.
Well, some folks are having a conniption about AOL’s addition of these bots to their friends lists. Quite frankly, the naysayers have somewhat of a point: AOL added these bots to every user’s buddy-corral without asking the users’ permission first, which is a little impolite but not exactly shady or particularly harmful–after all, the bots by design do not collect any information from users: they only respond to direct queries users post to them. But nonetheless, just in terms of courting consumer goodwill, it would’ve been smarter for AOL to announce the Coming of the IMBots and offer users a link to check them out before adding them.
Nonetheless, there they are - and some people are reacting as though AOL has installed a Sony-style rootkit on their machines. I am a complete security freak, so of course I was a bit alarmed and cautious about the mysterious new presences that just appeared on my buddy list…so I checked them out. Once I got the lowdown on them, I considered deleting them not because they freaked me out or represented any kind of possible security or privacy infarction, but just because I didn’t think I’d ever need them. After all, I’ve got Movies at Yahoo.com for film information and the only person I ever shop for anymore is myself….But, their little icons are so cute! And it’s not like they’re taking up any systems resources on my machine just sitting there. So I let them stay.
So here’s a little heads-up to all you security nerds shittin’ kittens Out There in Internetland: if you don’t want the AOL bots there, just remove them. They’re not going to commandeer your computer like some malicious cyberphantom from the depths of Sony BMG headquarters, nor are they the frontend for SKY_NET. They’re just the Instant Messenger equivalent of IRC bots, and can be handled and ignored just the same. Calm down. And go and change your pants, for the Other Gods’ sakes.
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