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Cancel the wedding, the engagement’s broken: That’s what just happened with internet measurement companies Jupiter Media Metrix and NetRatings Inc. They had agreed to merge, but because of antitrust issues, that union is no longer set to take place. The Federal Trade Commission is the wedge that will keep the two companies apart. The FTC would not endorse the merger, citing concerns that the combined company would be too anticompetitive. Additionally, the FTC was uncomfortable with the fact that NetRatings was going to give troubled Jupiter Media Metrix a loan. Other signs of trouble for the merger manifested themselves in January, when the two companies resumed patent violation lawsuits against one another that they had dropped when they initially announced plans to merge. Jupiter Media Metrix is now shopping around for a new buyer.
Love beats sports as Lycos search term
You’d have to be living in Tora Bora not to notice that last week was a busy one in cultural terms, what with the Westminster Dog Show, Valentine's Day, the winter Olympics, and the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Horse. All that activity manifested itself in the terms people were searching for online, according to the list of the 50-most-popular search terms on Lycos for the week ending Feb. 16. “Valentine’s Day” emerged as the No. 1 term for the second week in a row, ahead of No. 2 “Olympics.” “Love poems” was the No. 9 term, and three times as many searches as usual were carried out for “Hallmark.” Thanks to the pair-skating controversy, Canadian figure skater Jamie Sale was the No. 22 search term, beating out No. 28 Jennifer Lopez. Sale was searched for 20 times more often than her partner, David Pelletier. “Chinese New Year” came in at No. 23 and, following his death last week, country singer Waylon Jennings was the No. 30 term. Love and sports also deposed Sept. 11-related searches. The name “Osama bin Laden” ceased to make the top 50 for the first time since the attacks on America, and the phrase “World Trade Center" came in at No. 48. Finally, the Super Bowl magic is wearing off, as searches for mlife.com, the new AT&T Wireless brand first advertised during the game, plunged 98 percent.
Survey reveals public anxiety over privacy
The internet has come a long way in assuaging people's fears about privacy and security issues, but some concerns remain, according to a Harris Interactive survey released yesterday. Conducted online from Nov. 5 through Nov. 11, 2001, it revealed that 75 percent of those surveyed worry that online companies share their personal data with other dot.coms. Seventy percent fret over the safety precautions of online transactions, while 69 percent worry that hackers will pilfer their personal data. Just as stark as the anxiety is the apparent solution. Eight-four percent believe third-party reviews should become a required step for all e-commerce businesses, with 62 percent saying independent privacy policy reviews would alleviate their trepidation. Moreover 58 percent would recommend companies that feature third-party verification to their friends and family, though 83 percent would discontinue all business with companies that use customer information inappropriately. The Privacy & American Business think-tank commissioned the study, which polled 1,529 adults over the age of 18.
Popcorn maker blasted for breaching kid privacy
The Federal Trade Commission has popped a manufacturer of salty snacks for violating the rules that protect children’s privacy online. American Pop Corn Co., which is based in Sioux City, Iowa, allegedly gathered the names, email addresses and home addresses of children under the age of 13 without parental permission via its web site, Jollytime.com. Doing so is a violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The popcorn company had children cough up more information than was permissible in exchange for signing up for prize drawings, which is also illegal. Additionally, American Pop Corn did not adhere to its own posted privacy policy, another no-no. The company is paying a $10,000 fine to resolve the charges, in addition to promising to comply with the law and its own rules.
Coffers emptying, Garageband.com shuts down
Garageband, an internet music company with big-name backers, has shut down its web site due to a paucity of funding. San Francisco-based Garageband was conceived as an online vetting system in which new bands could upload their tracks. Music lovers could hear the aspiring stars and rate them. The highest-rated acts were to get recording contracts. But like many concepts of the so-called New Economy, Garageband proved expensive and difficult to carry off. Garageband’s funding has dried up, and it had problems setting up record distribution deals. If those problems can be resolved soon, the company may be resurrected. As of now, users can’t access music or other content on the site. The company was founded by Jerry Harrison, formerly of the avant-garde pop band The Talking Heads, along with a couple of highly regarded Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Beatles producer Sir George Martin served as an artistic consultant.
February 20, 2002 © 2002 Media Life
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