Socialnewpagesearch.com Removal Guide Removal Guide

Socialnewpagesearch.com may look like another low-grade search engine and it is, but there is more to it than meets the eye. It is a browser hijacker and for this reason we suggest that you remove it. As such it is set to hijack your web browser’s homepage address. Evidently, its owners distribute it using illicit and deceptive methods to impose it on your browser and force you to use it for conducting your online searches. Apart from that, this hijacker is set to display advertisements and promotional links in its search results and collect information about you and your browsing habits to maximize the advertising revenue. For more information, please read this whole article.

From the outset, it is important to note that this supposedly legitimate search engine was set up by a company called Imali Media, a company that is in the web monetization business. Its website at http://imali.media offers creative monetization services with unique technology solutions. In short, it is one unreliable company that is dedicated to promoting content using dishonest tactics. This is not the first time we encounter a hijacker from this developer. Previously, we wrote about hijackers such as Topsecuritytabsearch.com, Search.mysafetabsearch.com, and Search.socialnewpagessearch.com that are nearly identical to Socialnewpagesearch.com. All of them are part of a large web monetization scheme, so rest assured that none of them can improve your browsing experience.

As far as Socialnewpagesearch.com’s distribution methods are concerned, it seems that it has at least two known distribution methods. The most well-known method is, of course, software bundling. Research has revealed that this hijacker relies on third-party software bundles to get itself on your computer. The problem is, however, that the installer does not give you the opportunity to opt out, so Socialnewpagesearch.com will be set as your browser’s homepage whether you like it or not. Our researchers have received unconfirmed reports that some users got this hijacker as a result of clicking pop-up advertisements shown by adware. So this hijacker has no shortage of means to get on your PC, so let us discus what it can do that makes it malicious.

As mentioned in the introduction, Socialnewpagesearch.com is dedicated to replacing your browser’s homepage with its URL. This hijacker relies on the installer it comes bundled with to interact with Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome and modify their settings. This is done without your knowledge or consent and, therefore, this search engine is considered malicious. However, the problems with it do not end with its less then legitimate distribution method. Apparently, it redirects all search queries to a customized Yahoo.com search engine which is configured to show promotional links supplied by Imali Media’s clients. We stress that you cannot trust the search results to be accurate and genuine as you might accidentally go to a promoted website that is irrelevant and, most importantly, malicious. Indeed, there is no telling whether Imali Media’s promoted links are legitimate.

Privacy is of utmost importance nowadays, so we must inform you about Socialnewpagesearch.com's information collection tactics. Its privacy policy explicitly states that if you register an account with Socialnewpagesearch.com, then Imali Media will be able to get a hold of information such as your “name, email address, country of origin, and, if you choose, your nickname, telephone number, website, company, and title.” This hijacker is also set to collect some information automatically and it includes your IP (internet protocol) address, browser type, search history, search queries and so on. All of this information is used to advance Imali Media’s agenda which is to subject you to more relevant advertisements and make more money as a result.

In summary, Socialnewpagesearch.com is one malicious search engine that our security experts have classified as a browser hijacker due to its distribution methods. However, apart from that this hijacker is also set to display commercial advertisements and promotional links in its search results. However, the advertisements may pose a threat to your computer’s security and even infect it with malware if clicked. Lastly, it collects information about you and your browsing habits and uses the collected information to tailor the advertisements. All things considered, it is truly malicious search engine so you ought to remove it.

How to remove Socialnewpagesearch.com

Microsoft Internet Explorer

1. Press Windows+R keys.
2. Enter regedit and click OK.
3. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
4. Find the Start Page registry string.
5. Right-click it and click Modify.
6. Enter a new homepage address.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Press Windows+E keys.
2. Type C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles in the address box and hit Enter.
3. Enter the {Unique Mozilla user ID} folder
4. Find prefs.js and open it with Notepad.
5. Find and replace http://Socialnewpagesearch.com in the user_pref("browser.startup.homepage", "http://Socialnewpagesearch.com"); string.

Google Chrome

1. Press Windows+E keys.
2. Enter C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default in the address line.
3. Find and delete Preferences, Secure Preferences and Web Data files.