Wajam

Wajam is a company founded in 2009. Its main product is a plugin that replaces Google ads that appear on the right side of search results with Wajam ads. This plugin is typically bundled with other software and installed without the user's knowledge or consent. Wajam also offers a plugin or browser extension that adds social search results by putting a layer of recommendations and content from the users' social networks to routine organic searches. This product can be directly downloaded from the company's homepage.
A mobile app exists for iOS. It works with other search engines and integrates recommendations for places directly into Google Maps through Safari searches.
History
Founded in March 2009, Wajam launched in private beta at Startup Camp Montreal 7 in January 2011. The company was co-founded by Martin-Luc Archambault, Olivier Cabanes and Magali Janvier, and is privately funded by Bolidea, a web startup incubator and accelerator.
In early 2012, Wajam Shopping was added to work with Amazon and eBay searches.
Undesired Installations
Wajam is often distributed as part of a software bundle. Users will seek out and download one non-Wajam program, such as a screensaver or game, and find that Wajam was installed on their computer during this process. Because the user sought out the bundled software only, not Wajam (which came as part of the bundle), this bundling can lead to accidental installations without the end user's awareness or informed consent. Because of these unintended installations, Wajam has been identified by a number of anti-malware software programs (including Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware) and several computer security websites as a "potentially unwanted program." Since it is designed to access private data, it makes individuals who have unintentionally installed it feel at risk. The company reports that it has received complaints concerning unintended installations, and has posted directions on its website to uninstall the software. Wajam is also distributed as a standalone product, and Wajam is a TRUSTe certified company.

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