[jbm]

Bit.ly could check a link to no_malware_here.com, which thereafter adds a 301 that redirects to your_computer_now_has_aids.com.

I think it is misleading to display that message based on the possibility of a redirection. Any page can do that, not just xrl.in.

[thenduks]

I think that's the point. They check for a redirection and show an interstitial. They've white-listed a few other shortener services (the ones they know are redirecting to actual sites and presumably do their own redirection checks on)... but as far as I understand it any url that you try to shorten that does an immediate 301 gets the interstitial first.

If they let urls with redirects on them they can inadvertently bit.ly link directly to a malware site. They don't want to do that at all and take measures to prevent it. Checking urls against malware lists and not allowing redirects are just a couple, I'm sure there are more.

As for being misleading in the interstitial itself... I don't think so. They've updated it to be more clear about the issues with this link:

* Some URL-shorteners re-use their links, so bit.ly can't guarantee the validity of this link.

* Some URL-shorteners allow their links to be edited, so bit.ly can't tell where this link will lead you.

* Spam and malware is very often propagated by exploiting these loopholes, neither of which bit.ly allows for.