Deceptive ad on MyVerizon page

[ronzie1]

When I logged on to the MyVerizon page today I saw the following image on the right side of the page:

I clicked on the "View Messages" "button", thinking Verizon had something to tell me about my account, but it took me to a page where it tried to get me to install some software called "Message Viewer" or something like that, I neglected to make a screen cap because I quickly backed out of that page and back to MyVerizon, where I realized it was an ad, NOT a message notification from Verizon.

I think Verizon should send a complaint to whoever is feeding the ads to these pages, because this thing looked very suspicious!

[PJL]

I agree, but I don't think Verizon can do much about it except delete the ads placement altogether, in which case they will lose revenue (and we know that won't likely happen).  These are ads served up by Google ads.  I have seen the identical ads on other sites also -- and on a forum site it's very easy to think someone has sent you a private message.  Once Verizon (or another site) implements Google ads on it's pages they have no control over what it served up by Google.  It's unfortunate, but it's Google at it's best intrusion into our daily browsing lifes.  See this link for an explanation from our "friends" at Google.  It will explain one reason Google's profit is what it is.

[ronzie1]

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@PJL wrote:

I agree, but I don't think Verizon can do much about it except delete the ads placement altogether, in which case they will lose revenue (and we know that won't likely happen).  These are ads served up by Google ads.  I have seen the identical ads on other sites also -- and on a forum site it's very easy to think someone has sent you a private message.  Once Verizon (or another site) implements Google ads on it's pages they have no control over what it served up by Google.  It's unfortunate, but it's Google at it's best intrusion into our daily browsing lifes.  See this link for an explanation from our "friends" at Google.  It will explain one reason Google's profit is what it is.

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But surely such a big "partner" like Verizon could get Google to do something about this crap.  And Google must have some standards about the ads they'll accept, right?

[PJL]

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@ronzie wrote:

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@PJL wrote:

I agree, but I don't think Verizon can do much about it except delete the ads placement altogether, in which case they will lose revenue (and we know that won't likely happen).  These are ads served up by Google ads.  I have seen the identical ads on other sites also -- and on a forum site it's very easy to think someone has sent you a private message.  Once Verizon (or another site) implements Google ads on it's pages they have no control over what it served up by Google.  It's unfortunate, but it's Google at it's best intrusion into our daily browsing lifes.  See this link for an explanation from our "friends" at Google.  It will explain one reason Google's profit is what it is.

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But surely such a big "partner" like Verizon could get Google to do something about this crap.  And Google must have some standards about the ads they'll accept, right?

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Actually, I personally don't believe Google would respond to anybody on this type of thing.  All of these ad placements are automated and likely are within the Google contracts for their placement on any web site.  Verizon's sites are just web sited to Google.  They're not a partner.

I don't like it, you don't like it, but Google does what it does. 

[smith6612]

If I'm not mistaken, that's an AdChoices ad which could be placed by anyone. Click on the little blue triangle for some more information on it, though. For example: Clicking the Blue Triangle could take me here: http://entertainment.verizon.com/ads/about.php

AdChoices ads can also be served by Yahoo! Can't say I've seen them served by Google, but I'm an Adblock user.