LimeWire Warning Consumers of Security Risks in Its Software

The makers of the beleaguered LimeWire peer-to-peer software have agreed to notify consumers that using the file-sharing program can expose private information, said Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler.

The Consumer Protection Division of Gansler's office had been investigating LimeWire, alleging that some versions of the software had features that left consumers unknowingly vulnerable to sharing information they might not want to share, including Social Security numbers, tax records, private family documents or family videos.

Under the settlement that ended the probe, the makers of LimeWire software, Lime Group LLC, Lime Wire LLC, and their former owner, Mark Gorton, agreed to notify Maryland consumers that file-sharing software, products and services often contain a risk of inadvertent file sharing.