I missed all the excitement while at blogworld. As you know for a while now (seems like 6 months or so) the Florida AG office has been investigating many ringtone companies and their affiliates. I got several emails from people saying that AzoogleAds had settled a case or whatever was going on. I emailed them for comment and received this back:
Michael Sprouce, CMO of Azoogle:
“We have volunteered to work closely with the Attorney General’s newly-created ‘Cyber Fraud Task Force’ to further its efforts to combat illicit online advertising and to help establish a more transparent and accountable marketplace. As part of our cooperation, AzoogleAds will voluntarily contribute $1MM to the task force’s legal and investigative fund; this contribution reinforces AzoogleAds’ commitment to improving industry standards in the fight against fraudulent and deceptive internet advertising.”
Now normally I do not feel the need for disclosure but I want to be very clear AzoogleAds has been one of the biggest sponsors of this blog since its inception and I am also very good friends with the 2 founders Joe and Alex.
You can see the official press release here
There seems to be a lot of spin going on from exactly what all that means 
.
- Comment Likes 
- Comment Dislikes
December 3, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Finally someone doing something about the crap on the internet.
November 26, 2007 at 2:20 pm
Wow, “voluntary”…..nice way to put it, (rather than bribe!)
November 15, 2007 at 9:59 am
I guess thats why I dont get my Amazon gift cards anymore
November 14, 2007 at 2:54 pm
I got scammed from a ringtone company once, they wanted to charge me 19.95 bucks a month, i canceled, but they got their 20 bucks, did not want to fight it…
November 13, 2007 at 2:35 pm
From the press release,
” Investigators determined that consumers, usually children or teenagers who were responding to “free” cell phone ringtone offers, were often enrolled into subscription plans without their knowledge or consent. The fees for the plans were then billed to consumers’ cell phone bills. The cooperative agreement will require the true cost of ringtones to be clearly and conspicuously disclosed on all internet ads and order forms. In working with Attorney General McCollum’s Office to resolve concerns about its marketing practices, Azoogle has already provided and will continue to provide substantial cooperation and assistance to the CyberFraud Task Force as the working group endeavors to reform the industry. ”
It’s a settlement. No one signs over a check for a million dollars in “consultation” with the Attorney General. They probably just saved their company though.
November 13, 2007 at 12:00 pm
That is amazing. A 1 Million dollar donation. Phew.
November 13, 2007 at 5:34 am
to prevent / to reduce any further investigation.
somehow… we are just skeptical about the good faith of donation.
November 13, 2007 at 5:22 am
there could be hidden agenda…
since azoogleads has been earning alot from the ringtone industry.. in order to prove they are in good faith and contribute back… they just want to show some action of fighting advertising fraud.
November 12, 2007 at 9:59 pm
shoemoney u should ditch them, they fdon’t sound right.
November 12, 2007 at 9:57 pm
Interesting post. Wonder what will happen…
Anyways…it seems like there are a lot of spammers here on your blog Jeremy…
-Mike
November 12, 2007 at 8:37 pm
hmmmm
not sure if this is anyway related but i want to sell my pics on my website with something like “to get this pic on your mobile sms XXX to XXXXXX”
anyone know how i can do this
November 12, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Whats the catch?
November 12, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Politician are on sale these days.
November 12, 2007 at 4:31 pm
If AZ has purchased their innocence with a “donation” the question to ask is…who will be the fall guy for this?
November 12, 2007 at 4:24 pm
It’s nice to see how Azoogle tries to spin it as a contribution to help the advertising community. Not that I know the whole story or anything, but clearly Azoogle and the the Florida DA have differing perspectives on how this $1 million dollar gift came to be.
November 12, 2007 at 4:03 pm
A million bucks? Is that all it takes?
November 12, 2007 at 4:02 pm
A million to the attorney General? Is that what he costs? Seems a bit cheap to me…
November 12, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I wonder if this sort of PR move will still work in the Internet world.
November 12, 2007 at 2:23 pm
AZ have been here since long time….Sad they do not allow non-Americans.
November 12, 2007 at 2:15 pm
You are all witnessing the live abortion of the best vertical ever known to online marketers yet.. So whats next to wreck? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhs0ejEKhgY
November 12, 2007 at 2:10 pm
ewww~
November 12, 2007 at 2:06 pm
So is Azoogle now on some crime family tree like the old NY Gangstas? I wonder whos mugshots are on the soldiers branches of that family tree???
Hmmm
Id guess Blinko & Dada guys get top billing on that tree than the weaker volume deals…. makes me glad to be in the mtg vertical..holla!
November 12, 2007 at 1:59 pm
I wanna marry that girl with nice legs!!!
November 12, 2007 at 1:55 pm
A million bucks?! I KNEW they could afford to bump my payouts up a little bit..
November 12, 2007 at 1:53 pm
lol very funny the way you put that.. but true….
November 12, 2007 at 1:51 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if they also agreed to give up blackhat style affiliates and partners perhaps even a few dirty content sellers, who are already being looked at for bad coreg leads and carrier continuous violations.. as part of this so called contribution agreement… $1 million is to cheap.. Sombodys gonna be hit.. thats all i say folks..
November 12, 2007 at 1:42 pm
Ah sorry i lost the video link that i would to send: see this video about Click Fraud.
November 12, 2007 at 1:32 pm
A voluntary contribute..? Sgrunt!
November 12, 2007 at 1:31 pm
bill mccollum is a jerk. i used to see his a$$ in the elevator daily in Orlando.
November 12, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Yeah seems they are “voluntarily” giving up the money which could mean anything…
Click for Nick – Ways to Earn a Passive Income
November 12, 2007 at 12:22 pm
ANyone hear that snowball heading downhill? Giving in to “The Man” …in this case, the Florida AG, means others will soon follow! Will be a fun one to watch.
AL
November 12, 2007 at 11:57 am
voluntary contribution? O RLY?
wow what great champions of legal oversight they are!
November 12, 2007 at 10:22 am
Probably a few hours of one day’s revenue for them. Not a big deal.
November 12, 2007 at 10:16 am
Millions exchanging hands as if it was nothing, “oh you know, we contributed million dollars…, hey, so how was Blog Expo, heard it was a blast!”
November 12, 2007 at 10:00 am
“AzoogleAds will voluntarily contribute $1MM”
November 12, 2007 at 9:57 am
1 million donation to fight the good fight? No settlement. Nice spin job.
November 12, 2007 at 9:38 am
its called 1 million is better than 10 million, contribution indeed…
November 12, 2007 at 9:33 am
They are lucky they weren’t shutdown. If they paid out a million, they must been in pretty big trouble.
November 12, 2007 at 9:31 am
Hey! Something I can use for my blog! hahaha . . . thanks Shoe, and thanks Azoogle. Not too sure what the future will be for online advertising (as far as if there will be new gov’t regulations), but hopefully this “cooperation” will help.
November 12, 2007 at 9:07 am
yesh i agree with you..this will show how well they organized their company and its give a well look for the publisher to spent more in azoogle ….
November 12, 2007 at 8:39 am
Id guess a preempt against them being blamed
November 12, 2007 at 8:11 am
Wow,
I find it very hard to believe that wealthy people would Donate $1 million dollars to the feds new task force. Wealthy people just don’t do that Im used to seeing wealthy people giving 1 million dollars to zoo’s or for low income houseing. Sounds like the word Donate is a replacement word for settlement.. All of a sudden azoogle” has become a charitable orginization.
November 12, 2007 at 8:00 am
What are you’re thoughts on Az Shoe? I mean i know you use them, so obviously it works for you – but corporation wise, are they a stand up company?
November 12, 2007 at 7:59 am
and they want ot keep making bank
November 12, 2007 at 7:59 am
settlement dude
November 12, 2007 at 7:51 am
Do you think this will have any effect on them? I thought they had started adding campaigns slower and have started looking elsewhere with 5 times the offers. Just wondering.
November 12, 2007 at 6:46 am
This just goes to show you how much money is in this game. When they can give away a mil, you know they got bank.
November 12, 2007 at 6:37 am
This is news to me. Thanks for the official word Shoe.
November 12, 2007 at 4:46 am
Hey great stuff at blog expo .. i definitely support you saying that johnchow is evil
I would like to be the next evil guy …
November 12, 2007 at 2:44 am
I think that’s fairly obvious
November 12, 2007 at 2:40 am
Azoogle is swift and steadfast with its several internet marketing campaigns, so I won’t be surprised this things happen.
November 12, 2007 at 2:14 am
Why can’t they give $1 million to me. Anyway, it seems like something big happened under the radar. I wonder what it is.
November 12, 2007 at 1:26 am
http://shoemoney.com/gallery/d/15979-2/blogworldexpo+061.jpg
!
Now this is a nice shomoney pic
November 12, 2007 at 1:25 am
Well is it a case settlement or a voluntary contribution ?