Bit.ly Starts Warning About Malicious Links
Bit.ly has started warning users of potentially malicious sites, based on information it has about URLs being shortened. For example, if you click on this link, you’ll see the message that reads, “Warning – this site has been flagged and may contain unsolicited content. The content of this web page appears to contain spam, or links to unsolicited or undesired sites.” It then gives the following suggestions:
Close your browser window
Notify the sender of the URL
Or you can also continue on to the link, at your own risk, if you click another URL on the page.
And this do-gooding likely plays into Bit.ly’s greater plans to become a more Digg-like destination for content.
Bit.ly is apparently pulling this malicious site info from StopBadware.org and antiphishing.org, just as many other services do.