Is PPV Unethical?

Yes, you are thinking of the right thing, but the way you have described it makes it sound worse than it is.

First off, malware is software that is installed on a host computer with malicious intent. It's put there without the the owner's consent and runs against the owner's will in order to secretly access their system.

What PPV networks install would be classified as adware, which is a piece of software that is installed for the purpose of displaying advertisements. In most cases, the user of the computer agree to installing the adware in exchange for access to free software or games. Additionally, unlike malware, adware can easily be removed (with the condition that the free software/game will stop working)

Of course there is illegitimate adware out there, but any PPV network worth dealing with are not going to fall in this category.


As far as the ethics of using PPV traffic, well, that is a thin grey line. Some people are 100% against it and some are 100% for it (and everything in between). It's really all about how you use it.

Since PPV campaigns can be set up to target specific URLs, some dirty marketers will target other people's lading pages and then pop up a more enticing lead capture page to seal their sales right from underneath them. In my opinion, this is unethical.

So, what about targeting manufacturer website's product and popping up a CPA free trial offer? Maybe unethical, maybe a good idea, depends on your perspective.


I don't know the answer. There are pros and cons but it's a completely legal business model.