14 DAY TRIAL // The insanely popular Be Like Bill Facebook meme generator may put some of its fans in danger if precautions are not taken when trying to create their own version of the meme.
Security experts have been warning about Internet memes for a long time, but something happened with the Be Like Bill app that raised more eyebrows than usual.
First, it was its meteoric rise to fame, something similar to what only Grumpy Cat pulled off a few years back. On top of this, we also have a well-established Internet culture where people already know about meme generators, and once something hits big, they'll go searching online for a way to create their own version.
Lastly, we also know who created this specific meme, the Blobla.com service, a Vietnamese Web portal that also provided a meme generator on their site, which many people flocked to use.
Blobla was investigated for a simple privacy breach
As soon as the meme hit big, the website changed its privacy terms to say: "You will allow us to use, edit your content with our service permanently, no limit and no recover." This prompted a quick response from the US BBB (Better Business Bureau), who started an investigation into the service's practices, as USAToday reported yesterday.
While the reaction was extremely exaggerated, since the website was only asking people for their first name and gender, the site did agree to remove that specific clause from its privacy terms.
But the problem remains, even if not on Blobla's website.
Beware of any type of meme generator collecting your private data
There are tens of similar meme generators, and even Facebook apps that act on this meme. These apps will not be as shy as the Blobla service when requesting your personal information.
Some apps and websites may even require Facebook credentials, so the app could quickly share the custom meme on the user's Facebook account.
These are all scams, and the people behind this campaign are only trying to gather as much information as users are willing to give.
Users should avoid any Be Like Bill meme generator that requires more than your name and gender. Users should avoid at any cost downloading desktop software or mobile apps that create this type of meme, or any other meme for that matter, because the chances are high that the installer may contain adware, trojans, PUPs, or even worse, the mother of all malware: ransomware.