Adrian Roselli, pH0May 12, 2023

Happy Friday!

#AudioEye is suing me
https://adrianroselli.com/2023/05/audioeye-is-suing-me.html

I am not taking questions.

#a11y #accessibility

#AudioEye Is Suing Me

On Wednesday March 8, 2023, a man who turned out to be a process server came to my house and delivered a stack of papers — a 30 page lawsuit from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP along with Buffalo-area firm Phillips Lytle LLP, both representing AudioEye, Inc. The…

Adrian Roselli
Show threadMatt Campbell

Additional context for my followers who might not be in the know: AudioEye is an accessibility overlay, a type of product that claims to give websites a generic solution to accessibility with a simple JavaScript snippet. These scams have been going for years now. In my opinion, they're more about cashing in on the fear of lawsuits than actually serving disabled users.

@aardrian

May 12, 2023 at 12:16pmWeb
Show threadTimothy WynnMay 12, 2023
@matt @aardrian Speaking of, did you ever figure out the automated release process for AccessiByeBye? I currently use uBlock Origin to block this particular overlay at work, but would appreciate an update post August 2021.
Show threadRosalín AnneMay 13, 2023
@noahcarver @aardrian @matt I actually didn't mknow this. My former domestic partner used to work for Audio Eye as an accessibility tester, testing web sites of their clients using a screen reader. So accessibility testing is what I thought of when I heard their name until today. Thanks for the call-out.
Show threadPratik PatelMay 13, 2023
@SingingNala @noahcarver @aardrian @matt They were one of the first companies of their kind that showed up around 2014/2015 or so. I encountered them as a prototype installation when a very large telecom client asked me to evaluate this prototype. They were not happy with my honest testing and evaluation. They thought they'd get away without putting in actual accessibility work.
Show threadRosalín AnneMay 13, 2023
@ppatel @noahcarver @aardrian @matt That's super interesting. I remember being around my ex numerous times while he was on testing calls. He seemed to really like the AudioEye interviewers he was paired with and the work that he was being asked to do. So, at the time, I thought, oh cool. A legit testing company. This was mainly in 2021. Of course, there's a difference between hearing a business meeting in passing and being a part of it. I wish I had listened more actively then. I'm trying to figure out how I ended up with such a skewed perception.
Show threadAdrian Roselli, pH0May 13, 2023

@SingingNala
If you wade into my posts you will see that when I refer to “AudioEye”, I am generally referring to its overlay product, barring exceptions for referencing its marketing messages, stock price, or its securities fraud settlement (as examples).

@ppatel @noahcarver @matt

Show threadRosalín AnneMay 13, 2023
@aardrian Right. That's why they stood out to me. I would hope that a company which does bona fied accessibility testing would not tarnish their own reputation by offering an overlay. It's shooting oneself in the foot. How disappointing. @ppatel @noahcarver @matt
Show threadPratik PatelMay 13, 2023
@SingingNala When I first encountered them, they were marketing their overlay product and their amazing press releases about the revolutionary way they were solving the accessibility problem. And they were even using Amazon AWS. It was the typical Sillicon Valley grift from the start. They added consulting/testing services later. @aardrian @noahcarver @matt
Show threadRosalín AnneMay 13, 2023
@ppatel That kind of behavior would have immediately repeled me. @aardrian @noahcarver @matt