LGR Tech Tales - Bonzi Buddy: A Spyware's Tale

BonziBuddy was seemingly everywhere around the year 2000. It was a free "virtual assistant" program that could talk, tell jokes, and help you browse the web! Turned out it was also spyware and violated COPPA. Join me in LGR Tech Tales, looking at stories of technological inspiration, failure, and everything in-between! ● Consider supporting LGR on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LazyGameReviews ● Social links: https://twitter.com/lazygamereviews https://www.facebook.com/LazyGameReviews ● Music used in order of appearance: "Nautical 2" by Loscil https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpjlqXaC6ys "Anekbah Theme" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmdgZkWgfUE Downtown Alley 1, Particle Emission 2, Smooth Deal http://www.epidemicsound.com "Twin Shine" https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music ● Sources for this episode's info: https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/54282-bonzi-buddy-creator-settles-suit https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cases/2004/09/040901agree0423016.pdf https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=51324423 https://www.howtogeek.com/321720/a-brief-history-of-bonzibuddy-the-internets-most-friendly-malware/ http://www.cexx.org/dlder.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20130728114544/https://www.spywareinfoforum.com/topic/8508-bonzi-buddy/ http://www.internetnews.com/IAR/article.php/1551941 http://web.archive.org/web/20030606143945/http://internetnews.com/IAR/article.php/2212851 https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cases/2004/09/040901exibaf0423016.pdf http://www.spywareguide.com/product_show.php?id=512 http://malware.wikia.com/wiki/BonziBUDDY https://web.archive.org/web/20060109153357/http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/dynamic/privacy-investigations-categories-spy.cfm https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1120341 http://www.agentland.com/Download/Intelligent_Agent/143.html https://web.archive.org/web/20000302100932/http://www.e-clips.com.au:80/default.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20010728065108/http://www.microsoft.com/products/msagent/ https://books.google.com/books?id=hjoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22#v=onepage&q&f=false https://www.ipromote.com/technologies/ http://msagentring.org/press/msagentbeta.htm https://books.google.com/books?id=OxkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT5#v=onepage&q&f=false https://web.archive.org/web/19991013004552/http://bonzi.com:80/bonzibuddy/bonzibuddyfree.asp https://web.archive.org/web/20000520070541/http://www.bonzi.com:80/BonziBUDDY/BonziBUDDYFREE.asp https://web.archive.org/web/20031206095758/http://www.bonzi.com:80/bonzibuddy/bonzibuddyfree.asp https://books.google.com/books?id=qxIpLj9BmV8C&pg=PA62#v=onepage&q&f=false https://web.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/95/950106Arc5423.html https://web.archive.org/web/20000303224817/http://www.angelfire.com:80/il2/sunfire/index.html https://books.google.com/books?id=zquOXulD67IC&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125#v=onepage&q&f=false https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2004/02/umg-recordings-inc-pay-400000-bonzi-software-inc-pay-75000-settle https://web.archive.org/web/19961020041727/http://www.bonzi.com:80/ https://web.archive.org/web/19981202050249/http://msagentring.org/