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www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs...
|
From: |
Therese Godefroy |
|
Subject: |
www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs... |
|
Date: |
Sun, 23 Sep 2018 17:01:10 -0400 (EDT) |
CVSROOT: /webcvs/www
Module name: www
Changes by: Therese Godefroy <th_g> 18/09/23 17:01:10
Modified files:
server/staging/proprietary/rec: propr-blurbs.rec
Log message:
Complete tagging; remove redundant blurbs; fix more typos; consolidate
win10 story; link to other pages instead of copying long blurbs.
CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/server/staging/proprietary/rec/propr-blurbs.rec?cvsroot=www&r1=1.8&r2=1.9
Patches:
Index: propr-blurbs.rec
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/server/staging/proprietary/rec/propr-blurbs.rec,v
retrieving revision 1.8
retrieving revision 1.9
diff -u -b -r1.8 -r1.9
--- propr-blurbs.rec 21 Sep 2018 03:07:29 -0000 1.8
+++ propr-blurbs.rec 23 Sep 2018 21:01:10 -0000 1.9
@@ -20,18 +20,14 @@
# case, each line within a blurb should start with a + sign, including
# blank lines.
-Id: -201607040
-PubDate: 2015-12-07
-PubDate: 2015-09-11
-PubDate: 2016-07-04
-PubDate: 2016-06-27
-PubDate: 2016-03-12
-PubDate: 2016-03-17
-Section: sabotage microsoft
-Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <p>In 2015, Microsoft tried to push Windows 10 down the throat of
Windows 7 and 8 users. Its first move was to <a
href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3012278/microsoft-windows/microsoft-sets-stage-for-massive-windows-10-upgrade-strategy.html";>
disregard their no-“upgrade” settings</a> and <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/11/microsoft-downloading-windows-1";>
force silent Windows 10 downloads</a>, thereby using up storage space on
low-end computers and download quota on metered connections.</p>
+Id: -201809140
+Added: 20180922
+PubDate: 2018-09-14
+Section: back-doors alter-data mobiles google backdoor
+Keyword: android
+Blurb: <p>Android has a <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2018/9/14/17861150/google-battery-saver-android-9-pie-remote-settings-change";>
back door for remotely changing “user” settings</a>.</p>
+
-+ <p>Then, for many months, Microsoft <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/04/microsoft-windows-10-full-screen-upgrade-notification-pop-up-reminder";>
nagged users obnoxiously</a> to install the unwanted <a
href="http://gizmodo.com/woman-wins-10-000-from-microsoft-after-unwanted-window-1782666146";>
downgrade</a>, eventually tricking them by <a
href="https://news.softpedia.com/news/windows-10-upgrade-reportedly-starting-automatically-on-windows-7-pcs-501651.shtml";>
making installation a recommended option</a>, and offering it at each system
update <a
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/17/microsoft_windows_10_upgrade_gwx_vs_humanity/";>
regardless of previous refusals, by means of malware-like techniques</a>,
until users failed to say no.</p>
++ <p>The article suggests it might be a universal back door, but this isn't
clear.</p>
Id: -201809120
Added: 20180918
@@ -40,46 +36,15 @@
Keyword: windows
Blurb: <p>One version of Windows 10 <a
href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/09/12/microsoft-intercepting-firefox-chrome-installation-on-windows-10/";>
harangues users if they try to install Firefox (or Chrome)</a>.</p>
-Id: -201510300
-PubDate: 2015-10-30
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: apps
-Blurb: <p>More than 73% and 47% of mobile applications, from Android and iOS
respectively <a href="https://techscience.org/a/2015103001/";>share personal,
behavioral and location information</a> of their users with third parties.</p>
-
-Id: -201708160
-PubDate: 2017-08-16
-Section: potential
-Keyword: surveillance voice-control
-+ <p>Any device that has a microphone and a speaker could be <a
href="http://www.washington.edu/news/2017/08/16/computer-scientists-use-music-to-covertly-track-body-movements-activity/";>turned
into a sonar system that would track the movements of people in the same room
or other rooms nearby</a>.</p>
-
-Id: -201712130
-PubDate: 2017-12-13
-Section: potential
-Keyword: google amazon ai
-Blurb: <p>Patent applications show that Google and Amazon are interested in <a
href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/privacy-technology/home-assistant-adopter-beware-google-amazon-digital-assistant-patents-reveal";>
making “digital assistants” study people's activities to learn all
about them</a>.</p>
-+
-+ <p>AI programs would understand what people say to each other, observe the
clothing they wear and the objects they carry (including the marketing messages
on them), and use sound to track people's activities, including in the toilet
or in bed.</p>
-+
-+ <p>It should be illegal to have such a device in your apartment without
getting signed consent from the people that live in the other appartments in
the building.</p>
-
-Id: -200709130
-PubDate: 2007-09-13
-PubDate: 2007-08-26
-Section: back-doors universal
-Keyword: windows microsoft
-Blurb: <p>Microsoft Windows has a universal back door through which <a
href="http://www.informationweek.com/microsoft-updates-windows-without-user-permission-apologizes/d/d-id/1059183";>
any change whatsoever can be imposed on the users</a>.</p>
-+
-+ <p>More information on when <a
href="http://slated.org/windows_by_stealth_the_updates_you_dont_want";> this was
used</a>.</p>
-
Id: -201809070
PubDate: 2018-09-07
-Section: surveillance apple
-Keyword: macos
+Section: surveillance macos apple
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Adware Doctor, an ad blocker for MacOS, <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/wjye8x/mac-anti-adware-doctor-app-steals-browsing-history";>reports
the user's browsing history</a>.</p>
Id: -201808120
PubDate: 2018-08-12
-Section: amazon insecurity echo-surveillance
+Section: amazon insecurity echo-surveillance home
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Crackers found a way to break the security of an Amazon device, and
<a href="https://boingboing.net/2018/08/12/alexa-bob-carol.html";> turn it into
a listening device</a> for them.</p>
+
@@ -89,7 +54,7 @@
Id: -201808030
PubDate: 2018-08-03
-Section: google surveillance
+Section: surveillance apps google mobiles
Keyword: android
Blurb: <p>Some Google apps on Android <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/aug/13/google-location-tracking-android-iphone-mobile";>
record the user's location even when users disable “location
tracking”</a>.</p>
+
@@ -97,17 +62,17 @@
Id: -201807260
PubDate: 2018-07-26
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Tommy Hilfiger clothing <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/jul/26/tommy-hilfiger-new-clothing-line-monitor-customers";>
will monitor how often people wear it</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance wearables
+Keyword: clothes
+Blurb: <p>Tommy Hilfiger clothing <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/jul/26/tommy-hilfiger-new-clothing-line-monitor-customers";>will
monitor how often people wear it</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This will teach the sheeple to find it normal that companies monitor
every aspect of what they do.</p>
Id: -201807190
PubDate: 2018-07-19
-Section:
+Section: surveillance javascript webpages
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>British Airways used <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/19/17591732/british-airways-gdpr-compliance-twitter-personal-data-security";>
nonfree JavaScript on its web site to give other companies personal data on
its customers</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>British Airways used <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/19/17591732/british-airways-gdpr-compliance-twitter-personal-data-security";>nonfree
JavaScript on its web site to give other companies personal data on its
customers</a>.</p>
Id: -201807100
PubDate: 2018-07-10
@@ -117,9 +82,9 @@
Id: -201807050
PubDate: 2018-07-05
-Section: tethers
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>The Jawbone fitness tracker was tethered to a proprietary phone app.
In 2017, the company shut down and made the app stop working. <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/05/defunct-jawbone-fitness-trackers-kept-selling-after-app-closure-says-which";>
All the existing trackers stopped working forever</a>.</p>
+Section: tethers sabotage appliances
+Keyword: apps
+Blurb: <p>The Jawbone fitness tracker was tethered to a proprietary phone app.
In 2017, the company shut down and made the app stop working. <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/05/defunct-jawbone-fitness-trackers-kept-selling-after-app-closure-says-which";>All
the existing trackers stopped working forever</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The article focuses on a further nasty fillip, that sales of the broken
devices continued. But I think that is a secondary issue; it made the nasty
consequences extend to some additional people. The fundamental wrong was to
design the devices to depend on something else that didn't respect users'
freedom.</p>
@@ -131,21 +96,21 @@
Id: -201806250
PubDate: 2018-06-25
-Section: games tethers drm
+Section: tethers drm games
Keyword: macos
Blurb: <p>The game Metal Gear Rising for MacOS was tethered to a server. The
company <a
href="http://www.gamerevolution.com/news/400087-metal-gear-rising-mac-unplayable-drm";>
shut down the server, and all copies stopped working</a>.</p>
Id: -201806240
PubDate: 2018-06-24
-Section: games surveillance
+Section: surveillance games
Keyword: red-shell
Blurb: <p>Red Shell is a spyware that is found in many proprietary games. It
<a
href="https://nebulous.cloud/threads/red-shell-illegal-spyware-for-steam-games.31924/";>
tracks data on users' computers and sends it to third parties</a>.</p>
Id: -201806110
PubDate: 2018-06-11
-Section:
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>The Spanish football streaming app <a
href="https://boingboing.net/2018/06/11/spanish-football-app-turns-use.html";>
tracks the user's movements and listens through the microphone</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>The Spanish football streaming app <a
href="https://boingboing.net/2018/06/11/spanish-football-app-turns-use.html";>tracks
the user's movements and listens through the microphone</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This makes them act as spies for licensing enforcement.</p>
+
@@ -156,7 +121,7 @@
Id: -201805310
PubDate: 2018-05-31
Section: apple sabotage
-Keyword: telegram apps
+Keyword: telegram apps ithings
Blurb: <p>Apple has <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/31/17412396/telegram-apple-app-store-app-updates-russia";>blocked
Telegram from upgrading its app for a month</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This evidently has to do with Russia's command to Apple to block
Telegram in Russia.</p>
@@ -165,9 +130,9 @@
Id: -201805170
PubDate: 2018-05-17
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>The Storyful program <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/17/revealed-how-storyful-uses-tool-monitor-what-journalists-watch";>
spies on the reporters that use it</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance websites webpages
+Keyword: storyful
+Blurb: <p>The Storyful program <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/17/revealed-how-storyful-uses-tool-monitor-what-journalists-watch";>spies
on the reporters that use it</a>.</p>
Id: -201804180
PubDate: 2018-04-18
@@ -177,27 +142,27 @@
Id: -201804160
PubDate: 2018-04-16
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>More than <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/apr/16/child-apps-games-android-us-google-play-store-data-sharing-law-privacy";>
50% of the 5,855 Android apps studied by researchers were found to snoop and
collect information about its users</a>. 40% of the apps were found to
insecurely snitch on its users. Furthermore, they could detect only some
methods of snooping, in these proprietary apps whose source code they cannot
look at. The other apps might be snooping in other ways.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: android
+Blurb: <p>More than <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/apr/16/child-apps-games-android-us-google-play-store-data-sharing-law-privacy";>50%
of the 5,855 Android apps studied by researchers were found to snoop and
collect information about its users</a>. 40% of the apps were found to
insecurely snitch on its users. Furthermore, they could detect only some
methods of snooping, in these proprietary apps whose source code they cannot
look at. The other apps might be snooping in other ways.</p>
+
-+ <p>This is evidence that proprietary apps generally work against their
users. To protect their privacy and freedom, Android users need to get rid of
the proprietary software—both proprietary Android by <a
href="https://replicant.us";> switching to Replicant</a>, and the proprietary
apps by getting apps from the free software only <a
href="https://f-droid.org/";> F-Droid store</a> that <a
href="https://f-droid.org/wiki/page/Antifeatures";> prominently warns the user
if an app contains anti-features</a>.</p>
++ <p>This is evidence that proprietary apps generally work against their
users. To protect their privacy and freedom, Android users need to get rid of
the proprietary software—both proprietary Android by <a
href="https://replicant.us";>switching to Replicant</a>, and the proprietary
apps by getting apps from the free software only <a
href="https://f-droid.org/";>F-Droid store</a> that <a
href="https://f-droid.org/wiki/page/Antifeatures";> prominently warns the user
if an app contains anti-features</a>.</p>
-Id: -201804141
+Id: -201804144
PubDate: 2018-04-14
Section: games surveillance
-Keyword: ArenaNet
+Keyword: arenanet
Blurb: <p>ArenaNet surreptitiously installed a spyware program along with an
update to the massive multiplayer game Guild War 2. The spyware allowed
ArenaNet <a
href="https://techraptor.net/content/arenanet-used-spyware-anti-cheat-for-guild-wars-2-banwave";>
to snoop on all open processes running on its user's computer</a>.</p>
Id: -201804140
PubDate: 2018-04-14
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance home appliances
+Keyword: toothbrush
Blurb: <p>A medical insurance company <a
href="https://wolfstreet.com/2018/04/14/our-dental-insurance-sent-us-free-internet-connected-toothbrushes-and-this-is-what-happened-next";>
offers a gratis electronic toothbrush that snoops on its user by sending usage
data back over the Internet</a>.</p>
Id: -201804020
PubDate: 2018-04-02
-Section:
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Grindr collects information about <a
href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/04/02/egregious-breach-privacy-popular-app-grindr-supplies-third-parties-users-hiv-status";>
which users are HIV-positive, then provides the information to
companies</a>.</p>
+
@@ -205,7 +170,7 @@
Id: -201804010
PubDate: 2018-04-01
-Section: back-doors install-delete surveillance appliances tv
+Section: back-doors install-delete surveillance tvsets appliances
Keyword: sony
Blurb: <p>Some “Smart” TVs automatically <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180405014828/https:/twitter.com/buro9/status/980349887006076928";>load
downgrades that install a surveillance app</a>.</p>
+
@@ -227,9 +192,9 @@
Id: -201803050
PubDate: 2018-03-05
-Section:
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>The moviepass app and dis-service spy on users even more than users
expected. It <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/05/moviepass-ceo-proudly-says-the-app-tracks-your-location-before-and-after-movies/";>
records where they travel before and after going to a movie</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>The moviepass app and dis-service spy on users even more than users
expected. It <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/05/moviepass-ceo-proudly-says-the-app-tracks-your-location-before-and-after-movies/";>records
where they travel before and after going to a movie</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Don't be tracked—pay cash!</p>
@@ -241,7 +206,7 @@
Id: -201712300
PubDate: 2017-12-30
-Section:
+Section: surveillance javascript webpages
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Some JavaScript malware <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/30/16829804/browser-password-manager-adthink-princeton-research";>
swipes usernames from browser-based password managers</a>.</p>
@@ -256,15 +221,25 @@
Id: -201712210
PubDate: 2017-06-20
PubDate: 2017-12-21
-Section: webpages surveillance
+Section: webpages surveillance javascript
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Many web sites use JavaScript code <a
href="http://gizmodo.com/before-you-hit-submit-this-company-has-already-logge-1795906081";>
to snoop on information that users have typed into a form but not sent</a>, in
order to learn their identity. Some are <a
href="https://www.manatt.com/Insights/Newsletters/Advertising-Law/Sites-Illegally-Tracked-Consumers-New-Suits-Allege";>
getting sued</a> for this.</p>
+Id: -201712130
+PubDate: 2017-12-13
+Section: potential
+Keyword: google amazon ai
+Blurb: <p>Patent applications show that Google and Amazon are interested in <a
href="http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/privacy-technology/home-assistant-adopter-beware-google-amazon-digital-assistant-patents-reveal";>
making “digital assistants” study people's activities to learn all
about them</a>.</p>
++
++ <p>AI programs would understand what people say to each other, observe the
clothing they wear and the objects they carry (including the marketing messages
on them), and use sound to track people's activities, including in the toilet
or in bed.</p>
++
++ <p>It should be illegal to have such a device in your apartment without
getting signed consent from the people that live in the other appartments in
the building.</p>
+
Id: -201712110
PubDate: 2017-12-11
Section: surveillance windows
-Keyword: hp windows
-Blurb: <p>HP's proprietary operating system <a
href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-42309371";> includes a proprietary
keyboard driver with a key logger in it</a>.</p>
+Keyword: hp
+Blurb: <p>HP's proprietary operating system <a
href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-42309371";>includes a proprietary
keyboard driver with a key logger in it</a>.</p>
Id: -201712060
Added: 20180915
@@ -275,67 +250,61 @@
+
+ <p>These manipulative behaviors are malicious functionalities, and they are
possible because the game is proprietary. If it were free, people could publish
a non-manipulative version and play that instead.</p>
-Id: -201711251
-PubDate: 2017-11-25
-Section: surveillance mobiles ithings
-Keyword: apple drm
-Blurb: <p>The DMCA and the EU Copyright Directive make it <a
href="https://boingboing.net/2017/11/25/la-la-la-cant-hear-you.html";> illegal
to study how iOS cr…apps spy on users</a>, because this would require
circumventing the iOS DRM.</p>
-
Id: -201711250
PubDate: 2017-11-25
-Section: apple drm
-Keyword: surveillance mobiles ithings
+Section: surveillance ithings drm apple
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>The DMCA and the EU Copyright Directive make it <a
href="https://boingboing.net/2017/11/25/la-la-la-cant-hear-you.html";> illegal
to study how iOS cr…apps spy on users</a>, because this would require
circumventing the iOS DRM.</p>
-Id: -201711241
+Id: -201711244
PubDate: 2017-11-24
-Section: back-doors universal toy
+Section: back-doors universal surveillance toys
Keyword: hasbro furby apps
Blurb: <p>The Furby Connect has a <a
href="https://www.contextis.com/blog/dont-feed-them-after-midnight-reverse-engineering-the-furby-connect";>
universal back door</a>. If the product as shipped doesn't act as a listening
device, remote changes to the code could surely convert it into one.</p>
Id: -201711240
PubDate: 2017-11-24
-Section: google surveillance
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles google
Keyword: android
Blurb: <p>Tracking software in popular Android apps is pervasive and sometimes
very clever. Some trackers can <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/11/24/staggering-variety-of-clandestine-trackers-found-in-popular-android-apps/";>
follow a user's movements around a physical store by noticing WiFi
networks</a>.</p>
Id: -201711230
PubDate: 2017-11-23
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance mobiles cars
+Keyword: ai
Blurb: <p>AI-powered driving apps can <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/43nz9p/ai-powered-driving-apps-can-track-your-every-move";>
track your every move</a>.</p>
Id: -201711210
PubDate: 2017-11-21
-Section: google surveillance
-Keyword: android
+Section: google surveillance android
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Android tracks location for Google <a
href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20171121/09030238658/investigation-finds-google-collected-location-data-even-with-location-services-turned-off.shtml";>
even when “location services” are turned off, even when the phone
has no SIM card</a>.</p>
-Id: -201711201
+Id: -201711204
PubDate: 2017-11-20
-Section: insecurity back-doors
+Section: back-doors other insecurity
Keyword: intel
Blurb: <p>Intel's intentional “management engine” back door has <a
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/11/20/intel_flags_firmware_flaws/";>
unintended back doors</a> too.</p>
Id: -201711200
PubDate: 2017-11-20
-Section: amazon insecurity appliances
-Keyword: home
+Section: insecurity appliances
+Keyword: amazon
Blurb: <p>Amazon recently invited consumers to be suckers and <a
href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20171120/10533238651/vulnerability-fo";>
allow delivery staff to open their front doors</a>. Wouldn't you know it, the
system has a grave security flaw.</p>
Id: -201711150
PubDate: 2017-11-15
-Section: webpages surveillance
-Keyword: javascript
-Blurb: <p>Some websites send JavaScript code to collect all the user's input,
<a
href="https://freedom-to-tinker.com/2017/11/15/no-boundaries-exfiltration-of-personal-data-by-session-replay-scripts/";>
which can then be used to reproduce the whole session</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance javascript webpages
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p>Some websites send JavaScript code to collect all the user's input,
<a
href="https://freedom-to-tinker.com/2017/11/15/no-boundaries-exfiltration-of-personal-data-by-session-replay-scripts/";>which
can then be used to reproduce the whole session</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>If you use LibreJS, it will block that malicious JavaScript code.</p>
Id: -201711100
PubDate: 2017-11-10
-Section: surveillance appliances toy
+Section: surveillance toys appliances
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>A remote-control sex toy was found to make <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/10/16634442/lovense-sex-toy-spy-survei";>
audio recordings of the conversation between two users</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>A remote-control sex toy was found to make <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/10/16634442/lovense-sex-toy-spy-survei";>audio
recordings of the conversation between two users</a>.</p>
Id: -201711080
PubDate: 2017-11-08
@@ -348,16 +317,16 @@
Id: -201711070
PubDate: 2017-11-07
Section: games surveillance
-Keyword: driver
+Keyword: keyboard
Blurb: <p>The driver for a certain gaming keyboard <a
href="https://thehackernews.com/2017/11/mantistek-keyboard-keylogger.html";>sends
information to China</a>.</p>
Id: -201711010
PubDate: 2017-11-01
-Section: back-doors universal surveillance tethers toy subscriptions
+Section: back-doors universal surveillance toys subscriptions tethers
Keyword: sony aibo
Blurb: <p>Sony has brought back its robotic pet Aibo, this time <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/bj778v/sony-wants-to-sell-you-a-subscription-to-a-robot-dog-aibo-90s-pet";>
with a universal back door, and tethered to a server that requires a
subscription</a>.</p>
-Id: -201710131
+Id: -201710134
PubDate: 2017-10-13
Section: surveillance microsoft windows
Keyword:
@@ -375,7 +344,7 @@
+
+ <p>The root of these wrongs are in Apple. If Apple had not designed the
iMonsters to let Apple censor applications, Apple would not have had the power
to stop users from installing whatever kind of apps.</p>
-Id: -201710042
+Id: -201710044
PubDate: 2017-10-04
Section: apple sabotage
Keyword: macos
@@ -383,8 +352,8 @@
Id: -201710041
PubDate: 2017-10-04
-Section: tethers
-Keyword: canary
+Section: tethers subscription sabotage
+Keyword: Canary cameras
Blurb: <p>The Canary home surveillance camera has been sabotaged by its
manufacturer, <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/10/4/16426394/canary-smart-home-camera-free-service-update-change";>
turning off many features unless the user starts paying for a
subscription</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>With manufacturers like these, who needs security breakers?</p>
@@ -393,13 +362,13 @@
Id: -201710040
PubDate: 2017-10-04
-Section: surveillance tethers appliances camera
+Section: surveillance appliances cameras
Keyword: canary
Blurb: <p>Every “home security” camera, if its manufacturer can
communicate with it, is a surveillance device. <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/10/4/16426394/canary-smart-home-camera-free-service-update-change";>
Canary camera is an example</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The article describes wrongdoing by the manufacturer, based on the fact
that the device is tethered to a server.</p>
+
-+ <p><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-tethers.html"> More about proprietary
tethering</a>.</p>
++ <p><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-tethers.html">More about proprietary
tethering</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>But it also demonstrates that the device gives the company surveillance
capability.</p>
@@ -411,8 +380,8 @@
Id: -201709210
PubDate: 2017-09-21
-Section: apple surveillance
-Keyword: ithings
+Section: surveillance ithings apple
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>In the latest iThings system, “turning off” WiFi and
Bluetooth the obvious way <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/sep/21/ios-11-apple-toggling-wifi-bluetooth-control-centre-doesnt-turn-them-off";>
doesn't really turn them off</a>. A more advanced way really does turn them
off—only until 5am. That's Apple for you—“We know you want to
be spied on”.</p>
Id: -201709200
@@ -427,15 +396,15 @@
PubDate: 2017-09-09
Section: back-doors universal cars
Keyword: tesla cars sabotage
-Blurb: <p>Tesla used software to limit the fraction of battery capacity that
was available to customers, and <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/09/tesla-flips-a-switch-to-increase-the-range-of-some-cars-in-florida-to-help-people-evacuate/";>
a universal back door in the software</a> to temporarily increase this
limit.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Tesla used software to limit the part of the battery that was
available to customers, and <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/09/tesla-flips-a-switch-to-increase-the-range-of-some-cars-in-florida-to-help-people-evacuate/";>
a universal back door in the software</a> to temporarily increase this
limit.</p>
+
+ <p>While remotely allowing car “owners” to use the whole
battery capacity did not do them any harm, the same back door would permit
Tesla (perhaps under the command of some government) to remotely order the car
to use none of its battery. Or perhaps to drive its passenger to a torture
prison.</p>
Id: -201709090
PubDate: 2017-09-09
Section: sabotage
-Keyword: tesla cars back-doors universal
-Blurb: <p>Tesla used software to limit customers to using just <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/09/tesla-flips-a-switch-to-increase-the-range-of-some-cars-in-florida-to-help-people-evacuate/";>
part of the battery of some cars</a>.</p>
+Keyword: tesla back-doors universal cars
+Blurb: <p>Tesla used software to limit customers to using just <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/09/tesla-flips-a-switch-to-increase-the-range-of-some-cars-in-florida-to-help-people-evacuate/";>part
of the battery of some cars</a>.</p>
Id: -201708280
PubDate: 2017-08-28
@@ -449,26 +418,32 @@
Id: -201708270
PubDate: 2017-08-27
-Section: surveillance mobiles apps
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
Keyword: sarahah
-Blurb: <p>The Sarahah app <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/08/27/hit-app-sarahah-quietly-uploads-your-address-book/";>
uploads all phone numbers and email addresses</a> in user's address book to
developer's server. Note that this article misuses the words “<a
href="/philosophy/free-sw.html"> free software</a>” referring to zero
price.</p>
+Blurb: <p>The Sarahah app <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/08/27/hit-app-sarahah-quietly-uploads-your-address-book/";>
uploads all phone numbers and email addresses</a> in user's address book to
developer's server. Note that this article misuses the words “<a
href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a>” referring to zero
price.</p>
Id: -201708230
PubDate: 2017-08-21
PubDate: 2017-08-23
Section: sabotage appliances
Keyword: sonos
-Blurb: <p>Sonos <a
href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/sonos-accept-new-privacy-policy-speakers-cease-to-function/";>
told all its customers, “Agree” to snooping or the product will
stop working</a>. <a
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/08/23/sonos-holds-software-updates-hostage-if-you-dont-sign-new-privacy-agreement/#more-10287321";>
Another article</a> says they won't forcibly change the software, but people
won't be able to get any upgrades and eventually it will stop working.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Sonos <a
href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/sonos-accept-new-privacy-policy-speakers-cease-to-function/";>
told all its customers, “Agree” to snooping or the product will
stop working</a>. <a
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/08/23/sonos-holds-software-updates-hostage-if-you-dont-sign-new-privacy-agreement/#more-10287321";>Another
article</a> says they won't forcibly change the software, but people won't be
able to get any upgrades and eventually it will stop working.</p>
+
+Id: -201708160
+PubDate: 2017-08-16
+Section: potential
+Keyword: surveillance voice-control
+Blurb: <p>Any device that has a microphone and a speaker could be <a
href="http://www.washington.edu/news/2017/08/16/computer-scientists-use-music-to-covertly-track-body-movements-activity/";>turned
into a sonar system that would track the movements of people in the same room
or other rooms nearby</a>.</p>
Id: -201708040
PubDate: 2017-08-04
-Section:
+Section: surveillance drones appliances
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>While you're using a DJI drone to snoop on other people, DJI is in
many cases <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/4/16095244/us-army-stop-using-dji-drones-cybersecurity";>
snooping on you</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>While you're using a DJI drone to snoop on other people, DJI is in
many cases <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/4/16095244/us-army-stop-using-dji-drones-cybersecurity";>snooping
on you</a>.</p>
Id: -201708010
PubDate: 2017-08-01
-Section:
+Section: amazon kindle-drm
Keyword:
Blurb: <p><a href="http://techin.oureverydaylife.com/kindle-drm-17841.html";>
The Amazon Kindle has DRM</a>. That article is flawed in that it fails to treat
DRM as an ethical question; it takes for granted that whatever Amazon might do
to its users is legitimate. It refers to DRM as digital “rights”
management, which is the spin term used to promote DRM. Nonetheless it serves
as a reference for the facts.</p>
+
@@ -482,13 +457,13 @@
Id: -201707270
PubDate: 2017-07-27
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>20 dishonest Android apps recorded <a
href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/07/stealthy-google-play-apps-recorded-calls-and-stole-e-mails-and-texts";>
phone calls and sent them and text messages and emails to snoopers</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: android
+Blurb: <p>20 dishonest Android apps recorded <a
href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/07/stealthy-google-play-apps-recorded-calls-and-stole-e-mails-and-texts";>phone
calls and sent them and text messages and emails to snoopers</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Google did not intend to make these apps spy; on the contrary, it worked
in various ways to prevent that, and deleted these apps after discovering what
they did. So we cannot blame Google specifically for the snooping of these
apps.</p>
+
-+ <p>On the other hand, Google redistributes nonfree Android apps, and
therefore shares in the responsibility for the injustice of their being
nonfree. It also distributes its own nonfree apps, such as Google Play, <a
href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html"> which are
malicious</a>.</p>
++ <p>On the other hand, Google redistributes nonfree Android apps, and
therefore shares in the responsibility for the injustice of their being
nonfree. It also distributes its own nonfree apps, such as Google Play, <a
href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">which are
malicious</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Could Google have done a better job of preventing apps from cheating?
There is no systematic way for Google, or Android users, to inspect executable
proprietary apps to see what they do.</p>
+
@@ -496,10 +471,9 @@
+
+ <p>But since Google itself develops malicious apps, we cannot trust Google
to protect us. We must demand release of source code to the public, so we can
depend on each other.</p>
-Id: -201707060
-PubDate: 2017-07-06
+Id: -201706071
PubDate: 2017-06-07
-Section: insecurity cameras back-doors
+Section: surveillance cameras insecurity appliances
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Many models of Internet-connected cameras <a
href="/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html#InternetCameraBackDoor"> have
backdoors</a>.</p>
+
@@ -507,9 +481,9 @@
Id: -201706200
PubDate: 2017-06-20
-Section:
+Section: surveillance home appliances
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Lots of “smart” products are designed <a
href="http://enews.cnet.com/ct/42931641:shoPz52LN:m:1:1509237774:B54C9619E39F7247C0D58117DD1C7E96:r:27417204357610908031812337994022";>
to listen to everyone in the house, all the time</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Lots of “smart” products are designed <a
href="http://enews.cnet.com/ct/42931641:shoPz52LN:m:1:1509237774:B54C9619E39F7247C0D58117DD1C7E96:r:27417204357610908031812337994022";>to
listen to everyone in the house, all the time</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Today's technological practice does not include any way of making a
device that can obey your voice commands without potentially spying on you.
Even if it is air-gapped, it could be saving up records about you for later
examination.</p>
@@ -522,7 +496,7 @@
Id: -201706070
PubDate: 2017-06-07
-Section: back-doors surveillance appliances road camera
+Section: back-doors spy
Keyword:
Blurb: <p id="InternetCameraBackDoor">Many models of Internet-connected
cameras contain a glaring back door—they have login accounts with
hard-coded passwords, which can't be changed, and <a
href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2017/06/internet-cameras-expose-private-video-feeds-and-remote-controls/";>
there is no way to delete these accounts either</a>.</p>
+
@@ -530,8 +504,8 @@
Id: -201706060
PubDate: 2017-06-06
-Section: apple sabotage ithings
-Keyword:
+Section: apple sabotage
+Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <p>Apple will stop <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jun/06/iphone-ipad-apps-games-apple-5-5c-obsolete";>fixing
bugs for older model iThings</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Meanwhile, Apple stops people from fixing problems themselves; that's
the nature of proprietary software.</p>
@@ -555,9 +529,9 @@
Id: -201705230
PubDate: 2017-05-23
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: apps
-Blurb: <p>Apps for BART <a
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/05/23/passengers-say-commuter-rail-app-illegally-collects-personal-user-data/";>
snoop on users</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: android
+Blurb: <p>Apps for BART <a
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/05/23/passengers-say-commuter-rail-app-illegally-collects-personal-user-data/";>snoop
on users</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>With free software apps, users could <em>make sure</em> that they don't
snoop.</p>
+
@@ -565,7 +539,7 @@
Id: -201705180
PubDate: 2017-05-18
-Section: tethers
+Section: tethers sabotage toys appliances
Keyword: second-life
Blurb: <p>Bird and rabbit pets were implemented for Second Life by a company
that tethered their food to a server. <a
href="https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/05/19/second-life-ozimals-pet-rabbits-dying";>
It shut down the server and the pets more or less died</a>.</p>
@@ -578,20 +552,20 @@
Id: -201705151
PubDate: 2017-05-13
PubDate: 2017-05-15
-Section: drm mobiles
+Section: mobiles DRM
Keyword: google android netflix
-Blurb: <p>Google now allows Android apps to detect whether a device has been
rooted, <a
href="http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/05/13/netflix-confirms-blocking-rootedunlocked-devices-app-still-working-now/";>
and refuse to install if so</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Google now allows Android apps to detect whether a device has been
rooted, <a
href="http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/05/13/netflix-confirms-blocking-rootedunlocked-devices-app-still-working-now/";>and
refuse to install if so</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Update: Google <em>intentionally</em> changed Android so that apps <a
href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-use-of-google-drm-means-rooted-android-devices-are-banned-170515/";>
can detect rooted devices and refuse to run on them</a>.</p>
Id: -201705150
PubDate: 2017-05-13
PubDate: 2017-05-15
-Section: googleDRM
+Section: google DRM drm
Keyword: android netflix mobiles
-Blurb: <p>Google now allows Android apps to detect whether a device has been
rooted, <a
href="http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/05/13/netflix-confirms-blocking-rootedunlocked-devices-app-still-working-now/";>
and refuse to install if so</a>. The Netflix app uses this ability to enforce
DRM by refusing to install on rooted Android devices.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Google now allows Android apps to detect whether a device has been
rooted, <a
href="http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/05/13/netflix-confirms-blocking-rootedunlocked-devices-app-still-working-now/";>and
refuse to install if so</a>. The Netflix app uses this ability to enforce DRM
by refusing to install on rooted Android devices.</p>
+
-+ <p>Update: Google <em>intentionally</em> changed Android so that apps <a
href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-use-of-google-drm-means-rooted-android-devices-are-banned-170515/";>
can detect rooted devices and refuse to run on them</a>. The Netflix app is
proprietary malware, and one shouldn't use it. However, that does not make what
Google has done any less wrong.</p>
++ <p>Update: Google <i>intentionally</i> changed Android so that apps <a
href="https://torrentfreak.com/netflix-use-of-google-drm-means-rooted-android-devices-are-banned-170515/";>can
detect rooted devices and refuse to run on them</a>. The Netflix app is
proprietary malware, and one shouldn't use it. However, that does not make what
Google has done any less wrong.</p>
Id: -201705120
PubDate: 2017-05-12
@@ -599,25 +573,19 @@
Keyword: windows
Blurb: <p>Exploits of bugs in Windows, which were developed by the NSA and
then leaked by the Shadowbrokers group, are now being used to <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/05/12/the-nsas-lost-digital-weapon-is-helping-hijack-computers-around-the-world/";>attack
a great number of Windows computers with ransomware</a>.</p>
-Id: -201705041
-PubDate: 2017-05-04
-Section: surveillance mobiles apps
-Keyword: android
-Blurb: <p>A study found 234 Android apps that track users by <a
href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/234-android-applications-are-currently-using-ultrasonic-beacons-to-track-users/";>
listening to ultrasound from beacons placed in stores or played by TV
programs</a>.</p>
-
Id: -201705040
PubDate: 2017-05-04
-Section: insecurity
-Keyword: surveillance mobiles android apps
-Blurb: <p>A study found 234 Android apps that track users by <a
href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/234-android-applications-are-currently-using-ultrasonic-beacons-to-track-users/";>
listening to ultrasound from beacons placed in stores or played by TV
programs</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: android
+Blurb: <p>A study found 234 Android apps that track users by <a
href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/234-android-applications-are-currently-using-ultrasonic-beacons-to-track-users/";>listening
to ultrasound from beacons placed in stores or played by TV programs</a>.</p>
Id: -201704260
PubDate: 2017-04-26
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: facebook apps
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: facebook
Blurb: <p>Faceapp appears to do lots of surveillance, judging by <a
href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/04/26/everything-thats-wrong-with-faceapp-the-latest-creepy-photo-app-for-your-face/";>
how much access it demands to personal data in the device</a>.</p>
-Id: -201704191
+Id: -201704194
PubDate: 2017-04-19
Section: microsoft sabotage
Keyword: windows
@@ -625,8 +593,8 @@
Id: -201704190
PubDate: 2017-04-19
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: bose
Blurb: <p>Users are suing Bose for <a
href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/04/19/bose-headphones-have-been-spying-on-their-customers-lawsuit-claims/";>
distributing a spyware app for its headphones</a>. Specifically, the app would
record the names of the audio files users listen to along with the headphone's
unique serial number.</p>
+
+ <p>The suit accuses that this was done without the users' consent. If the
fine print of the app said that users gave consent for this, would that make it
acceptable? No way! It should be flat out <a
href="/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html"> illegal to design the app to
snoop at all</a>.</p>
@@ -643,29 +611,27 @@
PubDate: 2017-04-12
Section: sabotage appliances tethers
Keyword: anova
-Blurb: <p>Anova sabotaged users' cooking devices with a downgrade that
tethered them to a remote server. <a
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/04/12/anova-ticks-off-customers-by-requiring-mandatory-accounts-to-cook-food/#more-10275062";>
Unless users create an account on Anova's servers, their cookers won't
function</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Anova sabotaged users' cooking devices with a downgrade that
tethered them to a remote server. <a
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/04/12/anova-ticks-off-customers-by-requiring-mandatory-accounts-to-cook-food/#more-10275062";>Unless
users create an account on Anova's servers, their cookers won't
function</a>.</p>
-Id: -201704075
+Id: -201704074
PubDate: 2017-04-07
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: android apps
-Blurb: <p>Pairs of Android apps can collude to transmit users' personal data
to servers. <a
href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/04/when-apps-collude-to-steal-your-data/522177/";>
A study found tens of thousands of pairs that collude</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: android
+Blurb: <p>Pairs of Android apps can collude to transmit users' personal data
to servers. <a
href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/04/when-apps-collude-to-steal-your-data/522177/";>A
study found tens of thousands of pairs that collude</a>.</p>
Id: -201704071
PubDate: 2017-04-07
-Section: sabotage apple
-Keyword: drm mobiles
-Blurb: <p>The iPhone 7 contains DRM specifically designed to <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kbjm8e/iphone-7-home-button-unreplaceable-repair-software-lock";>
brick it if an “unauthorized” repair shop fixes it</a>.
“Unauthorized” essentially means anyone besides Apple.</p>
-+
-+ <p>The article uses the term “lock” to describe the DRM, but we
prefer to use the term <a
href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#DigitalLocks";> digital
handcuffs</a>.</p>
+Section: apple DRM
+Keyword: sabotage
+Blurb: <p>A DRM makes the iPhone 7 nearly <a
href="iphone7-sabotage">unrepairable</a> by anyone else but Apple.</p>
Id: -201704070
PubDate: 2017-04-07
-Section: drm mobiles
-Keyword: sabotage apple
-Blurb: <p>The iPhone 7 contains DRM specifically designed to <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kbjm8e/iphone-7-home-button-unreplaceable-repair-software-lock";>
brick it if an “unauthorized” repair shop fixes it</a>.
“Unauthorized” essentially means anyone besides Apple.</p>
+Section: drm sabotage apple
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p id="iphone7-sabotage">The iPhone 7 contains DRM specifically
designed to <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kbjm8e/iphone-7-home-button-unreplaceable-repair-software-lock";>
brick it if an “unauthorized” repair shop fixes it</a>.
“Unauthorized” essentially means anyone besides Apple.</p>
+
-+ <p>The article uses the term “lock” to describe the DRM, but we
prefer to use the term <a
href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#DigitalLocks";> digital
handcuffs</a>.</p>
++ <p>The article uses the term “lock” to describe the DRM, but we
prefer to use the term <a href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#DigitalLocks">
digital handcuffs</a>.</p>
Id: -201704050
PubDate: 2017-04-05
@@ -675,8 +641,8 @@
Id: -201703300
PubDate: 2017-03-30
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: verizon apps
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: verizon
Blurb: <p>Verizon <a
href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/03/30/0112259/verizon-to-force-appflash-spyware-on-android-phones";>
announced an opt-in proprietary search app that it will</a> pre-install on
some of its phones. The app will give Verizon the same information about the
users' searches that Google normally gets when they use its search engine.</p>
+
+ <p>Currently, the app is <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/04/update-verizons-appflash-pre-installed-spyware-still-spyware";>
being pre-installed on only one phone</a>, and the user must explicitly opt-in
before the app takes effect. However, the app remains spyware—an
“optional” piece of spyware is still spyware.</p>
@@ -707,7 +673,7 @@
PubDate: 2016-08-10
PubDate: 2016-09-14
PubDate: 2017-03-14
-Section:
+Section: surveillance toys appliances
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>A computerized vibrator <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/10/vibrator-phone-app-we-vibe-4-plus-bluetooth-hack";>
was snooping on its users through the proprietary control app</a>.</p>
+
@@ -719,19 +685,13 @@
+
+ <p>The company's statement that it was anonymizing the data may be true,
but it doesn't really matter. If it had sold the data to a data broker, the
data broker would have been able to figure out who the user was.</p>
+
-+ <p>Following this lawsuit, <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/14/we-vibe-vibrator-tracking-users-sexual-habits";>
the company has been ordered to pay a total of C\$4m</a> to its customers.</p>
-
-Id: -201703100
-PubDate: 2017-03-10
-Section: microsoft interference
-Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <p>Microsoft inserts <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/10/windows-10-users-complain-new-microsoft-subscription-onedrive-adverts";>
annoying advertisements inside of the File Explorer</a> to nag users to buy
subscriptions for the OneDrive service.</p>
++ <p>Following this lawsuit, <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/14/we-vibe-vibrator-tracking-users-sexual-habits";>
the company has been ordered to pay a total of C$4m</a> to its customers.</p>
Id: -201702280
PubDate: 2017-02-28
PubDate: 2017-02-28
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance toys appliances
+Keyword: cloudpet
Blurb: <p>“CloudPets” toys with microphones <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/28/cloudpets-data-breach-leaks-details-of-500000-children-and-adults";>
leak childrens' conversations to the manufacturer</a>. Guess what? <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/pgwean/internet-of-things-teddy-bear-leaked-2-million-parent-and-kids-message-recordings";>
Crackers found a way to access the data</a> collected by the manufacturer's
snooping.</p>
+
+ <p>That the manufacturer and the FBI could listen to these conversations
was unacceptable by itself.</p>
@@ -745,7 +705,7 @@
Id: -201702170
PubDate: 2017-02-17
Section: insecurity mobiles cars
-Keyword: surveillance
+Keyword: surveillance apps
Blurb: <p>The mobile apps for communicating <a
href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/millions-of-smart-cars-vulnerable-due-to-insecure-android-apps/";>
with a smart but foolish car have very bad security</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This is in addition to the fact that the car contains a cellular modem
that tells big brother all the time where it is. If you own such a car, it
would be wise to disconnect the modem so as to turn off the tracking.</p>
@@ -758,35 +718,29 @@
Id: -201702061
PubDate: 2017-02-06
-Section: back-doors universal surveillance appliances tv
-Keyword: vizio
+Section: back-doors universal
+Keyword: vizio surveillance tvsets appliances
Blurb: <p>Vizio “smart” TVs <a
href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen";>
have a universal back door</a>.</p>
Id: -201702060
PubDate: 2017-02-06
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Vizio “smart” <a
href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen";>
TVs report everything that is viewed on them, and not just broadcasts and
cable</a>. Even if the image is coming from the user's own computer, the TV
reports what it is. The existence of a way to disable the surveillance, even if
it were not hidden as it was in these TVs, does not legitimize the
surveillance.</p>
-
-Id: -201702021
-PubDate: 2017-02-02
-Section: drm surveillance microsoft windows
-Keyword: microsoft windows
-Blurb: <p>Windows DRM files <a
href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/02/02/231229/windows-drm-protected-files-used-to-decloak-tor-browser-users";>can
be used to identify people browsing through Tor</a>. The vulnerability exists
only if you use Windows.</p>
+Section: surveillance tvsets appliances
+Keyword: vizio back-doors universal
+Blurb: <p>Vizio “smart” <a
href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen";>TVs
report everything that is viewed on them, and not just broadcasts and
cable</a>. Even if the image is coming from the user's own computer, the TV
reports what it is. The existence of a way to disable the surveillance, even if
it were not hidden as it was in these TVs, does not legitimize the
surveillance.</p>
Id: -201702020
PubDate: 2017-02-02
-Section: surveillance microsoft
-Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <p>Windows DRM files <a
href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/02/02/231229/windows-drm-protected-files-used-to-decloak-tor-browser-users";>can
be used to identify people browsing through Tor</a>. The vulnerability exists
only if you use Windows.</p>
+Section: surveillance windows drm microsoft
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p>DRM-restricted files <a
href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/02/02/231229/windows-drm-protected-files-used-to-decloak-tor-browser-users";>can
be used to identify people browsing through Tor</a>. The vulnerability exists
only if you use Windows.</p>
Id: -201701300
PubDate: 2017-01-30
Section: google drm
Keyword: chrome chromium
-Blurb: <p>Chrome <a
href="http://boingboing.net/2017/01/30/google-quietly-makes-optiona.html";>
implements DRM</a>. So does Chromium, through nonfree software that is
effectively part of it.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Chrome <a
href="http://boingboing.net/2017/01/30/google-quietly-makes-optiona.html";>implements
DRM</a>. So does Chromium, through nonfree software that is effectively part
of it.</p>
+
-+ <p><a href="https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=686430";>
More information</a>.</p>
++ <p><a
href="https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=686430";>More
information</a>.</p>
Id: -201701270
PubDate: 2017-01-27
@@ -796,9 +750,9 @@
Id: -201701210
PubDate: 2017-01-21
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: apps
-Blurb: <p>The Meitu photo-editing app <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/01/21/popular-selfie-app-sending-user-data-to-china-researchers-say/";>
sends user data to a Chinese company</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: meitu
+Blurb: <p>The Meitu photo-editing app <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/01/21/popular-selfie-app-sending-user-data-to-china-researchers-say/";>sends
user data to a Chinese company</a>.</p>
Id: -201701180
PubDate: 2015-05
@@ -809,17 +763,9 @@
+
+ <p>For example, an extension was <a
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/01/18/why-is-google-blocking-this-ad-blocker-on-chrome/";>
banned from the Chrome Web Store, and permanently disabled</a> on more than
40,000 computers.</p>
-Id: -201701131
-PubDate: 2017-01-13
-Section: back-doors mobiles
-Keyword: apps whatsapp
-Blurb: <p>WhatsApp <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/13/whatsapp-backdoor-allows-snooping-on-encrypted-messages";>
has a back door that the company can use to read the plaintext of
messages</a>.</p>
-+
-+ <p>This should not come as a surprise. Nonfree software for encryption is
never trustworthy.</p>
-
Id: -201701130
PubDate: 2017-01-13
-Section: insecurity surveillance apps
+Section: insecurity mobiles
Keyword: whatsapp
Blurb: <p>WhatsApp has a feature that <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/13/encrypted-messaging-platform-whatsapp-denies-backdoor-claim/";>
has been described as a “back door”</a> because it would enable
governments to nullify its encryption.</p>
+
@@ -831,7 +777,7 @@
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>An upgrade package for Acrobat Reader <a
href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/adobe-acrobat-reader-dc-update-installs-chrome-browser-extension/";>silently
alters Chrome</a>.</p>
-Id: -201701061
+Id: -201701064
PubDate: 2017-01-06
Section: apple jails
Keyword: apps censorship
@@ -843,9 +789,9 @@
Id: -201701060
PubDate: 2017-01-06
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>When a page uses Disqus for comments, <a
href="https://blog.dantup.com/2017/01/visiting-a-site-that-uses-disqus-comments-when-not-logged-in-sends-the-url-to-facebook";>
the proprietary Disqus software loads a Facebook software package into the
browser of every anonymous visitor to the page, and makes the page's URL
available to Facebook</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance webpages websites
+Keyword: disqus
+Blurb: <p>When a page uses Disqus for comments, <a
href="https://blog.dantup.com/2017/01/visiting-a-site-that-uses-disqus-comments-when-not-logged-in-sends-the-url-to-facebook";>the
proprietary Disqus software loads a Facebook software package into the browser
of every anonymous visitor to the page, and makes the page's URL available to
Facebook</a>.</p>
Id: -201701050
PubDate: 2017-01-05
@@ -855,9 +801,9 @@
Id: -201612230
PubDate: 2016-12-23
-Section:
+Section: surveillance virtual appliances
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>VR equipment, measuring every slight motion, creates the potential
for the most intimate surveillance ever. All it takes to make this potential
real <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2016/12/23/virtual-reality-allows-the-most-detailed-intimate-digital-surveillance-yet/";>
is software as malicious as many other programs listed in this page</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>VR equipment, measuring every slight motion, creates the potential
for the most intimate surveillance ever. All it takes to make this potential
real <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2016/12/23/virtual-reality-allows-the-most-detailed-intimate-digital-surveillance-yet/";>is
software as malicious as many other programs listed in this page</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>You can bet Facebook will implement the maximum possible surveillance on
Oculus Rift devices. The moral is, never trust a VR system with nonfree
software in it.</p>
@@ -865,7 +811,7 @@
PubDate: 2016-12-20
Section: sabotage appliances
Keyword: ham-radio
-Blurb: <p>The developer of Ham Radio Deluxe <a
href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20161220/12411836320/company-bricks-users-software-after-he-posts-negative-review.shtml";>
sabotaged a customer's installation as punishment for posting a negative
review</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>The developer of Ham Radio Deluxe <a
href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20161220/12411836320/company-bricks-users-software-after-he-posts-negative-review.shtml";>sabotaged
a customer's installation as punishment for posting a negative review</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Most proprietary software companies don't use their power so harshly,
but it is an injustice that they all <em>have</em> such power.</p>
@@ -875,51 +821,51 @@
Keyword: price-waterhouse-coopers
Blurb: <p>Price Waterhouse Coopers tried to suppress knowledge of a security
flaw by <a
href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/pwc-sends-security-researchers-cease-and-desist-letter-instead-of-fixing-security-flaw/";>
making legal threats against the security company that found it</a>.</p>
-Id: -201612062
+Id: -201612064
PubDate: 2016-12-06
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Online sales, with tracking and surveillance of customers, <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/06/cookie-monsters-why-your-browsing-history-could-mean-rip-off-prices";>
enables businesses to show different people different prices</a>. Most of the
tracking is done by recording interactions with servers, but proprietary
software contributes.</p>
+Section: surveillance webpages websites
+Keyword: marketing
+Blurb: <p>Online sales, with tracking and surveillance of customers, <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/06/cookie-monsters-why-your-browsing-history-could-mean-rip-off-prices";>enables
businesses to show different people different prices</a>. Most of the tracking
is done by recording interactions with servers, but proprietary software
contributes.</p>
Id: -201612061
PubDate: 2016-12-06
Section: insecurity appliances
-Keyword: my-friend-cayla surveillance toy
+Keyword: my-friend-cayla surveillance toys
Blurb: <p>The “smart” toys My Friend Cayla and i-Que can be <a
href="https://www.forbrukerradet.no/siste-nytt/connected-toys-violate-consumer-laws";>
remotely controlled with a mobile phone</a>; physical access is not necessary.
This would enable crackers to listen in on a child's conversations, and even
speak into the toys themselves.</p>
+
+ <p>This means a burglar could speak into the toys and ask the child to
unlock the front door while Mommy's not looking.</p>
Id: -201612060
PubDate: 2016-12-06
-Section: surveillance toy
+Section: surveillance toys
Keyword: my-friend-cayla insecurity appliances
-Blurb: <p>The “smart” toys My Friend Cayla and i-Que transmit <a
href="https://www.forbrukerradet.no/siste-nytt/connected-toys-violate-consumer-laws";>
children's conversations to Nuance Communications</a>, a speech recognition
company based in the U.S.</p>
+Blurb: <p>The “smart” toys My Friend Cayla and i-Que transmit <a
href="https://www.forbrukerradet.no/siste-nytt/connected-toys-violate-consumer-laws";>children's
conversations to Nuance Communications</a>, a speech recognition company based
in the U.S.</p>
+
+ <p>Those toys also contain major security vulnerabilities; crackers can
remotely control the toys with a mobile phone. This would enable crackers to
listen in on a child's speech, and even speak into the toys themselves.</p>
Id: -201611280
PubDate: 2016-11-28
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>The Uber app tracks <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/28/uber-background-location-data-collection/";>
clients' movements before and after the ride</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: uber
+Blurb: <p>The Uber app tracks <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/28/uber-background-location-data-collection/";>clients'
movements before and after the ride</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This example illustrates how “getting the user's consent”
for surveillance is inadequate as a protection against massive surveillance.</p>
Id: -201611240
PubDate: 2016-11-24
-Section: surveillance microsoft windows
+Section: surveillance windows microsoft
Keyword: system
Blurb: <p>By default, Windows 10 <a
href="http://betanews.com/2016/11/24/microsoft-shares-windows-10-telemetry-data-with-third-parties";>sends
debugging information to Microsoft, including core dumps</a>. Microsoft now
distributes them to another company.</p>
Id: -201611170
PubDate: 2016-11-17
-Section: apple surveillance ithings
+Section: surveillance ithings apple
Keyword: iphone
Blurb: <p>iPhones <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2016/11/17/iphones-secretly-send-call-history-to-apple-security-firm-says/";>send
lots of personal data to Apple's servers</a>. Big Brother can get them from
there.</p>
Id: -201611160
PubDate: 2016-11-16
-Section: webpages surveillance mobiles
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles webpages
Keyword: vpn
Blurb: <p>A <a
href="https://research.csiro.au/ng/wp-content/uploads/sites/106/2016/08/paper-1.pdf";>
research paper</a> that investigated the privacy and security of 283 Android
VPN apps concluded that “in spite of the promises for privacy, security,
and anonymity given by the majority of VPN apps—millions of users may be
unawarely subject to poor security guarantees and abusive practices inflicted
by VPN apps.”</p>
+
@@ -930,10 +876,10 @@
+ <dd>Includes tracking libraries such as NativeX and Appflood, meant to
track users and show them targeted ads.</dd>
+
+ <dt>sFly Network Booster</dt>
-+ <dd>Requests the `READ_SMS` and `SEND_SMS` permissions upon installation,
meaning it has full access to users' text messages.</dd>
++ <dd>Requests the <code>READ_SMS</code> and <code>SEND_SMS</code>
permissions upon installation, meaning it has full access to users' text
messages.</dd>
+
+ <dt>DroidVPN and TigerVPN</dt>
-+ <dd>Requests the `READ_LOGS` permission to read logs for other apps and
also core system logs. TigerVPN developers have confirmed this.</dd>
++ <dd>Requests the <code>READ_LOGS</code> permission to read logs for other
apps and also core system logs. TigerVPN developers have confirmed this.</dd>
+
+ <dt>HideMyAss</dt>
+ <dd>Sends traffic to LinkedIn. Also, it stores detailed logs and may turn
them over to the UK government if requested.</dd>
@@ -947,9 +893,9 @@
Id: -201611150
PubDate: 2016-11-15
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: firmware
-Blurb: <p>Some portable phones <a
href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kryptowire-discovered-mobile-phone-firmware-that-transmitted-personally-identifiable-information-pii-without-user-consent-or-disclosure-300362844.html";>
are sold with spyware sending lots of data to China</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance android mobiles
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p>Some portable phones <a
href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kryptowire-discovered-mobile-phone-firmware-that-transmitted-personally-identifiable-information-pii-without-user-consent-or-disclosure-300362844.html";>are
sold with spyware sending lots of data to China</a>.</p>
Id: -201611070
PubDate: 2016-11-07
@@ -984,27 +930,27 @@
Id: -201609210
PubDate: 2016-09-21
-Section: google surveillance
-Keyword: apps
-Blurb: <p>Google's new voice messaging app <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/21/12994362/allo-privacy-message-logs-google";>
logs all conversations</a>.</p>
+Section: google surveillance apps
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p>Google's new voice messaging app <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/21/12994362/allo-privacy-message-logs-google";>logs
all conversations</a>.</p>
Id: -201609200
PubDate: 2016-09-20
Section: drm sabotage
Keyword: hp
-Blurb: <p>HP's firmware downgrade <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/20/hp-inkjet-printers-unofficial-cartridges-software-update";>
imposed DRM on some printers, which now refuse to function with third-party
ink cartridges</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>HP's firmware downgrade <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/sep/20/hp-inkjet-printers-unofficial-cartridges-software-update";>imposed
DRM on some printers, which now refuse to function with third-party ink
cartridges</a>.</p>
Id: -201609140
PubDate: 2016-09-14
-Section: surveillance mobiles google
-Keyword: android apps
+Section: surveillance android mobiles google
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Google Play (a component of Android) <a
href="https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/235594-yes-google-play-is-tracking-you-and-thats-just-the-tip-of-a-very-large-iceberg";>
tracks the users' movements without their permission</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Even if you disable Google Maps and location tracking, you must disable
Google Play itself to completely stop the tracking. This is yet another example
of nonfree software pretending to obey the user, when it's actually doing
something else. Such a thing would be almost unthinkable with free software.</p>
Id: -201609130
PubDate: 2016-09-13
-Section: back-doors universal mobile
+Section: back-doors universal mobiles
Keyword: xiaomi phone
Blurb: <p>Xiaomi phones come with <a
href="https://www.thijsbroenink.com/2016/09/xiaomis-analytics-app-reverse-engineered";>
a universal back door in the application processor, for Xiaomi's use</a>.</p>
+
@@ -1019,14 +965,28 @@
Id: -201608171
PubDate: 2016-08-17
Section: surveillance windows microsoft
-Keyword: microsoft windows interference
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>In order to increase Windows 10's install base, Microsoft <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/08/windows-10-microsoft-blatantly-disregards-user-choice-and-privacy-deep-dive";>
blatantly disregards user choice and privacy</a>.</p>
Id: -201608170
+PubDate: 2015-10-15
+PubDate: 2015-09-11
+PubDate: 2016-06-27
+PubDate: 2015-12-07
+PubDate: 2016-03-17
+PubDate: 2016-01-14
PubDate: 2016-08-17
-Section: microsoft interference
-Keyword: surveillance windows
-Blurb: <p>In order to increase Windows 10's install base, Microsoft <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/08/windows-10-microsoft-blatantly-disregards-user-choice-and-privacy-deep-dive";>
blatantly disregards user choice and privacy</a>.</p>
+Section: sabotage microsoft
+Keyword: windows
+Blurb: <p id="windows10-forcing">In 2015, users reported that <a
href="http://www.networkworld.com/article/2993490/windows/windows-10-upgrades-reportedly-appearing-as-mandatory-for-some-users.html#tk.rss_all";>
Microsoft was forcing them to replace Windows 7 and 8 with all-spying Windows
10</a>.</p>
++
++ <p>Microsoft did use many tricks to “persuade” reluctant users
to switch. Among other things, it forced <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/11/microsoft-downloading-windows-1";>
stealth downloads of Windows 10</a>. Not only did the unwanted downloads <a
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/03/windows_10_upgrade_satellite_link/";>
use up much needed resources</a>, but many of the people who let installation
proceed found out that this “upgrade” was in fact a <a
href="http://gizmodo.com/woman-wins-10-000-from-microsoft-after-unwanted-window-1782666146";>
downgrade</a>.</p>
++
++ <p>Then Microsoft attacked the computers that were still running Windows 7
or 8 by <a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/3012278/microsoft-windows/microsoft-sets-stage-for-massive-windows-10-upgrade-strategy.html";>
repeatedly switching on a flag that urged users to “upgrade” to
Windows 10</a> when they had turned it off. This was done through <a
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/17/microsoft_windows_10_upgrade_gwx_vs_humanity/";>
deviant use of Windows Update</a>.</p>
++
++ <p>Later on, Microsoft published instructions on <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/01/microsoft-finally-has-a-proper-way-to-opt-out-of-windows-78-to-windows-10-upgrades/";>
how to permanently reject the downgrade to Windows 10</a>.</p>
++
++ <p>A detailed <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/08/windows-10-microsoft-blatantly-disregards-user-choice-and-privacy-deep-dive";>
analysis of Microsoft's scheme</a> is available on the Electronic Frontier
Foundation's website.</p>
Id: -201608110
PubDate: 2016-08-11
@@ -1052,10 +1012,10 @@
Keyword: whatsapp
Blurb: <p><a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/29/research-shows-deleted-whatsapp-messages-arent-actually-deleted/";>
“Deleted” WhatsApp messages are not entirely deleted</a>. They can
be recovered in various ways.</p>
-Id: -201607281
+Id: -201607284
PubDate: 2016-07-28
-Section: back-doors alter-data apple macos
-Keyword: apps
+Section: back-doors alter-data apple backdoor
+Keyword: macos
Blurb: <p>The Dropbox app for Macintosh <a
href="http://applehelpwriter.com/2016/07/28/revealing-dropboxs-dirty-little-security-hack/";>
takes control of user interface items after luring the user into entering an
admin password</a>.</p>
Id: -201607280
@@ -1113,15 +1073,15 @@
Id: -201606060
PubDate: 2016-06-06
Section: back-doors universal amazon echo-backdoor
-Keyword: appliances
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>The Amazon Echo appears to have a universal back door, since <a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Echo#Software_updates";> it installs
“updates” automatically</a>.</p>
+
-+ <p>We have found nothing explicitly documenting the lack of any way to
disable remote changes to the software, so we are not completely sure there
isn't one, but it seems pretty clear.</p>
++ <p>We have found nothing explicitly documenting the lack of any way to
disable remote changes to the software, so we are not completely sure there
isn't one, but this seems pretty clear.</p>
Id: -201606050
PubDate: 2016-06-05
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: facebook
Blurb: <p>Facebook's new Magic Photo app <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160605165148/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/10/facebook_scans_camera_for_your_friends/";>
scans your mobile phone's photo collections for known faces</a>, and suggests
you to share the picture you take according to who is in the frame.</p>
+
+ <p>This spyware feature seems to require online access to some known-faces
database, which means the pictures are likely to be sent across the wire to
Facebook's servers and face-recognition algorithms.</p>
@@ -1130,9 +1090,9 @@
Id: -201606030
PubDate: 2016-06-03
-Section:
+Section: surveillance networks
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Investigation Shows <a
href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160602/17210734610/investigation-shows-gchq-using-us-companies-nsa-to-route-around-domestic-surveillance-restrictions.shtml";>
GCHQ Using US Companies, NSA To Route Around Domestic Surveillance
Restrictions</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Investigation Shows <a
href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160602/17210734610/investigation-shows-gchq-using-us-companies-nsa-to-route-around-domestic-surveillance-restrictions.shtml";>GCHQ
Using US Companies, NSA To Route Around Domestic Surveillance
Restrictions</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Specifically, it can collect the emails of members of Parliament this
way, because they pass it through Microsoft.</p>
@@ -1146,15 +1106,15 @@
Id: -201605310
PubDate: 2016-05-31
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: facebook apps
-Blurb: <p>Facebook's app listens all the time, <a
href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-using-people-s-phones-to-listen-in-on-what-they-re-saying-claims-professor-a7057526.html";>
to snoop on what people are listening to or watching</a>. In addition, it may
be analyzing people's conversations to serve them with targeted
advertisements.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: facebook
+Blurb: <p>Facebook's app listens all the time, <a
href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-using-people-s-phones-to-listen-in-on-what-they-re-saying-claims-professor-a7057526.html";>to
snoop on what people are listening to or watching</a>. In addition, it may be
analyzing people's conversations to serve them with targeted advertisements.</p>
Id: -201605200
PubDate: 2016-05-20
Section: games drm
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Oculus Rift games now have <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/vv77ea/new-oculus-drm-cross-platform";>
DRM meant to prevent running them on other systems</a>.</p>
+Keyword: oculus
+Blurb: <p>Oculus Rift games now have <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/vv77ea/new-oculus-drm-cross-platform";>DRM
meant to prevent running them on other systems</a>.</p>
Id: -201605190
PubDate: 2016-05-19
@@ -1168,9 +1128,9 @@
Keyword: revolv
Blurb: <p>Revolv is an IoT device which managed “smart home”
operations: switching the lights, operate motion sensors, regulating
temperature, etc. On May 15th, 2016, Google said it would shut down the service
linked to the device, making it unusable.</p>
+
-+ <p>Although you may own the device, its functioning depended on the server
that never belonged to you. So you never really had control of it. This unjust
design is called <a
href="/philosophy/network-services-arent-free-or-nonfree.html"> Service as a
Software Substitute (SaaSS)</a>. That is what gave the company the power to
convert it into a \$300 out-of-warranty brick, for your “dumb
home”.</p>
++ <p>Although you may own the device, its functioning depended on the server
that never belonged to you. So you never really had control of it. This unjust
design is called <a
href="/philosophy/network-services-arent-free-or-nonfree.html"> Service as a
Software Substitute (SaaSS)</a>. That is what gave the company the power to
convert it into a $300 out-of-warranty brick, for your “dumb
home”.</p>
-Id: -201605041
+Id: -201605044
PubDate: 2013-11-13
PubDate: 2016-05-04
Section: apple incompatibility
@@ -1197,9 +1157,9 @@
Id: -201604250
PubDate: 2016-04-25
-Section: back-doors alter-data surveillance appliances
-Keyword: health
-Blurb: <p>A pregnancy test controller application not only can <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/25/11503718/first-response-pregnancy-pro-test-bluetooth-app-security";>
spy on many sorts of data in the phone, and in server accounts, it can alter
them too</a>.</p>
+Section: back-doors alter-data surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p>A pregnancy test controller application not only can <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/25/11503718/first-response-pregnancy-pro-test-bluetooth-app-security";>spy
on many sorts of data in the phone, and in server accounts, it can alter them
too</a>.</p>
Id: -201604120
PubDate: 2016-04-12
@@ -1217,8 +1177,8 @@
Id: -201604050
PubDate: 2016-04-05
-Section: appliances tethers
-Keyword: google
+Section: appliances tethers sabotage google
+Keyword: revolv
Blurb: <p>Google/Alphabet <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/04/nest-reminds-customers-ownership-isnt-what-it-used-be";>
intentionally broke Revolv home automatic control products that depended on a
server</a> to function, by shutting down the server. The lesson is, reject all
such products. Insist on self-contained computers that run free software!</p>
Id: -201603220
@@ -1247,14 +1207,14 @@
Id: -201603080
PubDate: 2016-03-08
-Section: webpages surveillance
-Keyword: ebook javascript
-Blurb: <p>E-books can contain JavaScript code, and <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/mar/08/men-make-up-their-minds-about-books-faster-than-women-study-finds";>
sometimes this code snoops on readers</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance e-readers
+Keyword: javascript
+Blurb: <p>E-books can contain JavaScript code, and <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/mar/08/men-make-up-their-minds-about-books-faster-than-women-study-finds";>sometimes
this code snoops on readers</a>.</p>
Id: -201603020
PubDate: 2016-03-02
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance watches
+Keyword: wearables
Blurb: <p>A very cheap “smart watch” comes with an Android app <a
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/02/chinese_backdoor_found_in_ebays_popular_cheap_smart_watch/";>
that connects to an unidentified site in China</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The article says this is a back door, but that could be a
misunderstanding. However, it is certainly surveillance, at least.</p>
@@ -1263,11 +1223,11 @@
PubDate: 2016-02-24
Section: surveillance cars insecurity
Keyword: back-doors phone
-Blurb: <p id="nissan-modem">The Nissan Leaf has a built-in cell phone modem
which allows effectively anyone <a
href="https://www.troyhunt.com/controlling-vehicle-features-of-nissan/";> to
access its computers remotely and make changes in various settings</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p id="nissan-modem">The Nissan Leaf has a built-in cell phone modem
which allows effectively anyone <a
href="https://www.troyhunt.com/controlling-vehicle-features-of-nissan/";>to
access its computers remotely and make changes in various settings</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>That's easy to do because the system has no authentication when accessed
through the modem. However, even if it asked for authentication, you couldn't
be confident that Nissan has no access. The software in the car is proprietary,
<a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html"> which means it
demands blind faith from its users</a>.</p>
+
-+ <p>Even if no one connects to the car remotely, the cell phone modem
enables the phone company to track the car's movements all the time; it is
possible to physically remove the cell phone modem though.</p>
++ <p>Even if no one connects to the car remotely, the cell phone modem
enables the phone company to track the car's movements all the time; it is
possible to physically remove the cell phone modem, though.</p>
Id: -201602050
PubDate: 2016-02-05
@@ -1290,11 +1250,11 @@
PubDate: 2016-01-31
Section: sabotage microsoft
Keyword: ftdi driver
-Blurb: <p>FTDI's proprietary driver for its USB-to-serial chips has been
designed to <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/windows-update-drivers-bricking-usb-serial-chips-beloved-of-hardware-hackers/";>
sabotage alternative compatible chips</a> so that they no longer work.
Microsoft is <a
href="http://it.slashdot.org/story/16/01/31/1720259/ftdi-driver-breaks-hardware-again";>
installing this automatically</a> as an “upgrade”.</p>
+Blurb: <p>FTDI's proprietary driver for its USB-to-serial chips has been
designed to <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/windows-update-drivers-bricking-usb-serial-chips-beloved-of-hardware-hackers/";>sabotage
alternative compatible chips</a> so that they no longer work. Microsoft is <a
href="http://it.slashdot.org/story/16/01/31/1720259/ftdi-driver-breaks-hardware-again";>installing
this automatically</a> as an “upgrade”.</p>
Id: -201601160
PubDate: 2016-01-16
-Section: microsoft sabotage
+Section: interference microsoft
Keyword: windows
Blurb: <p>Microsoft has <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/16/10780876/microsoft-windows-support-policy-new-processors-skylake";>desupported
all future Intel CPUs for Windows 7 and 8</a>. Those machines will be stuck
with the nastier Windows 10. <a
href="http://gizmodo.com/only-the-latest-version-of-windows-will-run-on-some-fut-1753545825";>
AMD and Qualcomm CPUs, too</a>.</p>
+
@@ -1302,36 +1262,22 @@
+
+ <p>Free software developers also stop maintaining old versions of their
programs, but this is not unfair to users because the users of free software
have control over it. If it is important enough to you, you and other users
can hire someone to support the old version on your future platforms.</p>
-Id: -201601140
-PubDate: 2015-10-15
-PubDate: 2015-12-07
-PubDate: 2016-01-14
-Section: back-doors alter-data microsoft windows
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p id="windows7-back-door">In 2015, users reported that <a
href="http://www.networkworld.com/article/2993490/windows/windows-10-upgrades-reportedly-appearing-as-mandatory-for-some-users.html#tk.rss_all";>
Microsoft was forcing them to replace Windows 7 and 8 with all-spying Windows
10</a>.</p>
-+
-+ <p>Microsoft was in fact <a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/3012278/microsoft-windows/microsoft-sets-stage-for-massive-windows-10-upgrade-strategy.html";>
attacking computers that run Windows 7 and 8</a>, switching on a flag that
said whether to “upgrade” to Windows 10 when users had turned it
off.</p>
-+
-+ <p>Later on, Microsoft published instructions on <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/01/microsoft-finally-has-a-proper-way-to-opt-out-of-windows-78-to-windows-10-upgrades/";>
how to permanently reject the downgrade to Windows 10</a>.</p>
-+
-+ <p>This seems to involve use of a back door in Windows 7 and 8.</p>
-
Id: -201601130
PubDate: 2016-01-13
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: apps
-Blurb: <p>Apps that include <a
href="http://techaeris.com/2016/01/13/symphony-advanced-media-software-tracks-your-digital-life-through-your-smartphone-mic/";>
Symphony surveillance software snoop on what radio and TV programs are playing
nearby</a>. Also on what users post on various sites such as Facebook, Google+
and Twitter.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: symphony
+Blurb: <p>Apps that include <a
href="http://techaeris.com/2016/01/13/symphony-advanced-media-software-tracks-your-digital-life-through-your-smartphone-mic/";>
Symphony surveillance software snoops on what radio and TV programs are
playing nearby</a>. Also on what users post on various sites such as Facebook,
Google+ and Twitter.</p>
Id: -201601110
PubDate: 2016-01-11
-Section:
+Section: surveillance phones mobiles
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>The natural extension of monitoring people through
“their” phones is <a
href="http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2016/01/fool-activity-tracker.html";>
proprietary software to make sure they can't “fool” the
monitoring</a>.</p>
Id: -201601100
PubDate: 2016-01-10
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: drm appliances
+Keyword: 3d-printer
Blurb: <p>The <a
href="http://michaelweinberg.org/post/137045828005/free-the-cube";>
“Cube” 3D printer was designed with DRM</a>: it won't accept
third-party printing materials. It is the Keurig of printers. Now it is being
discontinued, which means that eventually authorized materials won't be
available and the printers may become unusable.</p>
+
+ <p>With a <a
href="http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/endorsement/aleph-objects";> printer that
gets the Respects Your Freedom</a>, this problem would not even be a remote
possibility.</p>
@@ -1340,7 +1286,7 @@
Id: -201601050
PubDate: 2016-01-05
-Section: surveillance microsoft windows
+Section: surveillance windows microsoft
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>It appears <a
href="http://www.ghacks.net/2016/01/05/microsoft-may-be-collecting-more-data-than-initially-thought/";>
Windows 10 sends data to Microsoft about what applications are running</a>.</p>
@@ -1352,21 +1298,15 @@
+
+ <p>A game console is a computer, and you can't trust a computer with a
nonfree operating system.</p>
-Id: -201512281
-PubDate: 2015-12-28
-Section: back-doors microsoft surveillance windows
-Keyword: windows surveillance
-Blurb: <p><a
href="https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/";>
Microsoft has already backdoored its disk encryption</a>.</p>
-
Id: -201512280
PubDate: 2015-12-28
-Section: surveillance
-Keyword: windows back-doors microsoft
-Blurb: <p><a
href="https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/";>
Microsoft has already backdoored its disk encryption</a>.</p>
+Section: back-doors spy microsoft backdoor
+Keyword: windows
+Blurb: <p><a
href="https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/";>
Microsoft has backdoored its disk encryption</a>.</p>
Id: -201512260
PubDate: 2015-12-26
-Section: appleDRM drm
+Section: drm apple DRM
Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <p><a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/bmvxp4/switzerland-wants-a-single-universal-phone-charger-by-2017";>
Apple uses DRM software to prevent people from charging an iThing with a
generic USB cable</a>.</p>
@@ -1378,7 +1318,7 @@
+
+ <p>If a product is “smart”, and you didn't build it, it is
cleverly serving its manufacturer <em>against you</em>.</p>
-Id: -201512071
+Id: -201512074
PubDate: 2013-10-14
PubDate: 2012-12-25
PubDate: 2015-12-07
@@ -1390,20 +1330,9 @@
+
+ <p><a href="https://github.com/elvanderb/TCP-32764";>Many models of routers
have back doors</a>.</p>
-Id: -201512070
-PubDate: 2014-04-10
-PubDate: 2015-03-26
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.computerworlduk.com/it-business/windows-xp-end-of-an-era-end-of-an-error-3569489/";>
Microsoft cut off security fixes for Windows XP, except to some big users that
pay exorbitantly</a>.</p>
-+
-+ <p>Microsoft is going to <a
href="https://www.computerworlduk.com/applications/more-than-half-of-all-ie-users-face-patch-axe-in-10-months-3605515/";>
cut off support for some Internet Explorer versions</a> in the same way.</p>
-+
-+ <p>A person or company has the right to cease to work on a particular
program; the wrong here is Microsoft does this after having made the users
dependent on Microsoft, because they are not free to ask anyone else to work on
the program for them.</p>
-
-Id: -201511261
+Id: -201511264
PubDate: 2015-11-26
-Section: surveillance microsoft windows
+Section: surveillance windows microsoft
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>A downgrade to Windows 10 deleted surveillance-detection
applications. Then another downgrade inserted a general spying program. Users
noticed this and complained, so Microsoft renamed it <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160407082751/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/26/microsoft_renamed_data_slurper_reinserted_windows_10/";>
to give users the impression it was gone</a>.</p>
+
@@ -1417,17 +1346,17 @@
Id: -201511250
PubDate: 2015-11-25
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>The Nest Cam “smart” camera is <a
href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34922712";> always watching</a>, even
when the “owner” switches it “off.”</p>
+Section: surveillance cameras
+Keyword: nestcam
+Blurb: <p>The Nest Cam “smart” camera is <a
href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34922712";>always watching</a>, even
when the “owner” switches it “off.”</p>
+
+ <p>A “smart” device means the manufacturer is using it to
outsmart you.</p>
-Id: -201511241
+Id: -201511244
PubDate: 2015-11-24
-Section: google sabotage
-Keyword: android back-doors
-Blurb: <p>Google has long had <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/24/google-can-unlock-android-devices-remotely-if-phone-unencrypted";>
a back door to remotely unlock an Android device</a>, unless its disk is
encrypted (possible since Android 5.0 Lollipop, but still not quite the
default).</p>
+Section: back-doors alter-data sabotage mobiles google
+Keyword: android
+Blurb: <p>Google has long had <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/24/google-can-unlock-android-devices-remotely-if-phone-unencrypted";>a
back door to remotely unlock an Android device</a>, unless its disk is
encrypted (possible since Android 5.0 Lollipop, but still not quite the
default).</p>
Id: -201511240
PubDate: 2015-11-24
@@ -1435,33 +1364,33 @@
Keyword: windows
Blurb: <p>Windows 10 “upgrades” <a
href="http://www.ghacks.net/2015/11/24/beware-latest-windows-10-update-may-remove-programs-automatically/";>
delete applications</a> without asking permission.</p>
-Id: -201511192
+Id: -201511198
PubDate: 2015-11-19
-Section: back-doors other appliances
+Section: back-doors other appliances backdoor
Keyword: modem arris
Blurb: <p>ARRIS cable modem has a <a
href="https://w00tsec.blogspot.de/2015/11/arris-cable-modem-has-backdoor-in.html?m=1";>
back door in the back door</a>.</p>
-Id: -201511191
+Id: -201511194
PubDate: 2015-11-19
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: apps
+Section: back-doors alter-data cars
+Keyword: caterpillar
+Blurb: <p>Caterpillar vehicles come with <a
href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-19/caterpillar-depression-has-never-been-worse-it-has-cunning-plan-how-deal-it";>
a back door to shutoff the engine</a> remotely.</p>
+
+Id: -201511190
+PubDate: 2015-11-19
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: android
Blurb: <p>“Cryptic communication,” unrelated to the app's
functionality, was <a
href="http://news.mit.edu/2015/data-transferred-android-apps-hiding-1119";>
found in the 500 most popular gratis Android apps</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The article should not have described these apps as
“free”—they are not free software. The clear way to say
“zero price” is “gratis.”</p>
+
+ <p>The article takes for granted that the usual analytics tools are
legitimate, but is that valid? Software developers have no right to analyze
what users are doing or how. “Analytics” tools that snoop are just
as wrong as any other snooping.</p>
-Id: -201511190
-PubDate: 2015-11-19
-Section: back-doors alter-data cars
-Keyword: caterpillar vehicle
-Blurb: <p>Caterpillar vehicles come with <a
href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-11-19/caterpillar-depression-has-never-been-worse-it-has-cunning-plan-how-deal-it";>
a back door to shutoff the engine</a> remotely.</p>
-
Id: -201511130
PubDate: 2015-11-13
-Section:
+Section: surveillance tvsets appliances
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Some web and TV advertisements play inaudible sounds to be picked up
by proprietary malware running on other devices in range so as to determine
that they are nearby. Once your Internet devices are paired with your TV,
advertisers can correlate ads with Web activity, and other <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/11/beware-of-ads-that-use-inaudible-sound-to-link-your-phone-tv-tablet-and-pc/";>
cross-device tracking</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Some web and TV advertisements play inaudible sounds to be picked up
by proprietary malware running on other devices in range so as to determine
that they are nearby. Once your Internet devices are paired with your TV,
advertisers can correlate ads with Web activity, and other <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/11/beware-of-ads-that-use-inaudible-sound-to-link-your-phone-tv-tablet-and-pc/";>cross-device
tracking</a>.</p>
Id: -201511110
PubDate: 2015-11-11
@@ -1471,7 +1400,7 @@
Id: -201511090
PubDate: 2015-11-09
-Section: back-doors install-delete
+Section: back-doors install-delete mobiles backdoor
Keyword: baidu android
Blurb: <p>Baidu's proprietary Android library, Moplus, has a back door that <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/11/millions-android-devices-vulnerable-remote-hijacking-baidu-wrote-code-google-made";>
can “upload files” as well as forcibly install apps</a>.</p>
+
@@ -1479,17 +1408,23 @@
Id: -201511060
PubDate: 2015-11-06
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance tvsets appliances
+Keyword: vizio
Blurb: <p>Vizio goes a step further than other TV manufacturers in spying on
their users: their <a
href="http://www.propublica.org/article/own-a-vizio-smart-tv-its-watching-you";>
“smart” TVs analyze your viewing habits in detail and link them
your IP address</a> so that advertisers can track you across devices.</p>
+
+ <p>It is possible to turn this off, but having it enabled by default is an
injustice already.</p>
Id: -201511020
PubDate: 2015-11-02
-Section:
+Section: surveillance tvsets appliances
+Keyword: tivo viacom
+Blurb: <p>Tivo's alliance with Viacom adds 2.3 million households to the 600
millions social media profiles the company already monitors. Tivo customers are
unaware they're being watched by advertisers. By combining TV viewing
information with online social media participation, Tivo can now <a
href="http://www.reuters.com/article/viacom-tivo-idUSL1N12U1VV20151102";>correlate
TV advertisement with online purchases</a>, exposing all users to new combined
surveillance by default.</p>
+
+Id: -201510300
+PubDate: 2015-10-30
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Tivo's alliance with Viacom adds 2.3 million households to the 600
millions social media profiles the company already monitors. Tivo customers are
unaware they're being watched by advertisers. By combining TV viewing
information with online social media participation, Tivo can now <a
href="http://www.reuters.com/article/viacom-tivo-idUSL1N12U1VV20151102";>
correlate TV advertisement with online purchases</a>, exposing all users to new
combined surveillance by default.</p>
+Blurb: <p>More than 73% and 47% of mobile applications, from Android and iOS
respectively <a href="https://techscience.org/a/2015103001/";>share personal,
behavioral and location information</a> of their users with third parties.</p>
Id: -201510270
PubDate: 2015-10-27
@@ -1511,15 +1446,15 @@
Id: -201510200
PubDate: 2015-10-20
-Section: insecurity
-Keyword: firmware
+Section: back-doors other insecurity
+Keyword: western-digital
Blurb: <p>“Self-encrypting” disk drives do the encryption with
proprietary firmware so you can't trust it. Western Digital's “My
Passport” drives <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/mgbmma/some-popular-self-encrypting-hard-drives-have-really-bad-encryption";>
have a back door</a>.</p>
Id: -201510050
PubDate: 2015-10-05
-Section:
+Section: surveillance phones mobiles
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>According to Edward Snowden, <a
href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34444233";> agencies can take over
smartphones</a> by sending hidden text messages which enable them to turn the
phones on and off, listen to the microphone, retrieve geo-location data from
the GPS, take photographs, read text messages, read call, location and web
browsing history, and read the contact list. This malware is designed to
disguise itself from investigation.</p>
+Blurb: <p>According to Edward Snowden, <a
href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34444233";>agencies can take over
smartphones</a> by sending hidden text messages which enable them to turn the
phones on and off, listen to the microphone, retrieve geo-location data from
the GPS, take photographs, read text messages, read call, location and web
browsing history, and read the contact list. This malware is designed to
disguise itself from investigation.</p>
Id: -201510020
PubDate: 2015-10-02
@@ -1540,7 +1475,7 @@
Keyword: icloud
Blurb: <p>iThings automatically upload to Apple's servers all the photos and
videos they make.</p>
+
-+ <p> iCloud Photo Library stores every photo and video you take, and > keeps
them up to date on all your devices. Any edits you make are > automatically
updated everywhere. […]</p>
++ <p> iCloud Photo Library stores every photo and video you take, and keeps
them up to date on all your devices. Any edits you make are automatically
updated everywhere. […]</p>
+
+ <p>(From <a href="https://www.apple.com/icloud/photos/";>Apple's iCloud
information</a> as accessed on 24 Sep 2015.) The iCloud feature is <a
href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202033";>activated by the startup of
iOS</a>. The term “cloud” means “please don't ask
where.”</p>
+
@@ -1560,7 +1495,7 @@
PubDate: 2015-09-22
Section: sabotage surveillance bios
Keyword: lenovo
-Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2984889/windows-pcs/lenovo-collects-usage-data-on-thinkpad-thinkcentre-and-thinkstation-pcs.html";>
Lenovo stealthily installed crapware and spyware via BIOS</a> on Windows
installs. Note that the specific sabotage method Lenovo used did not affect
GNU/Linux; also, a “clean” Windows install is not really clean
since <a href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html"> Microsoft puts in its own
malware</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2984889/windows-pcs/lenovo-collects-usage-data-on-thinkpad-thinkcentre-and-thinkstation-pcs.html";>
Lenovo stealthily installed crapware and spyware via BIOS</a> on Windows
installs. Note that the specific sabotage method Lenovo used did not affect
GNU/Linux; also, a “clean” Windows install is not really clean
since <a href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html">Microsoft puts in its own
malware</a>.</p>
Id: -201509210
PubDate: 2015-09-21
@@ -1577,7 +1512,7 @@
Id: -201509160
PubDate: 2015-09-16
Section: back-doors alter-data surveillance games
-Keyword: apps
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Modern gratis game cr…apps <a
href="http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/";>
collect a wide range of data about their users and their users' friends and
associates</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Even nastier, they do it through ad networks that merge the data
collected by various cr…apps and sites made by different companies.</p>
@@ -1589,8 +1524,8 @@
Id: -201508210
PubDate: 2015-08-21
PubDate: 2015-08-21
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: spotify
Blurb: <p>Like most “music screaming” disservices, Spotify is
based on proprietary malware (DRM and snooping). In August 2015 it <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/21/spotify-faces-user-backlash-over-new-privacy-policy";>
demanded users submit to increased snooping</a>, and some are starting to
realize that it is nasty.</p>
+
+ <p>This article shows the <a
href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/21/spotify_worse_than_the_nsa/";>
twisted ways that they present snooping as a way to “serve” users
better</a>—never mind whether they want that. This is a typical example
of the attitude of the proprietary software industry towards those they have
subjugated.</p>
@@ -1599,13 +1534,13 @@
Id: -201508180
PubDate: 2015-08-18
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.pocket-lint.com/laptops/news/intel/134954-cortana-is-always-listening-with-new-wake-on-voice-tech-even-when-windows-10-is-sleeping";>
Intel devices will be able to listen for speech all the time, even when
“off.”</a></p>
+Section: surveillance windows
+Keyword: intel
+Blurb: <p><a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905163414/http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/134954-cortana-is-always-listening-with-new-wake-on-voice-tech-even-when-windows-10-is-sleeping";>
Intel devices will be able to listen for speech all the time, even when
“off.”</a></p>
Id: -201508130
PubDate: 2015-08-13
-Section: surveillance microsoft windows
+Section: surveillance windows microsoft
Keyword:
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/08/even-when-told-not-to-windows-10-just-cant-stop-talking-to-microsoft/";>
Windows 10 sends identifiable information to Microsoft</a>, even if a user
turns off its Bing search and Cortana features, and activates the
privacy-protection settings.</p>
@@ -1618,24 +1553,24 @@
Id: -201507300
PubDate: 2015-07-30
Section: surveillance windows microsoft
-Keyword: windows
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Windows 10 <a
href="https://jonathan.porta.codes/2015/07/30/windows-10-seems-to-have-some-scary-privacy-defaults/";>
ships with default settings that show no regard for the privacy of its
users</a>, giving Microsoft the “right” to snoop on the users'
files, text input, voice input, location info, contacts, calendar records and
web browsing history, as well as automatically connecting the machines to open
hotspots and showing targeted ads.</p>
+
+ <p>We can suppose Microsoft look at users' files for the US government on
demand, though the “privacy policy” does not explicitly say so.
Will it look at users' files for the Chinese government on demand?</p>
Id: -201507280
PubDate: 2015-07-28
-Section: google surveillance
-Keyword: chrome
-Blurb: <p>Google Chrome makes it easy for an extension to do <a
href="https://labs.detectify.com/2015/07/28/how-i-disabled-your-chrome-security-extensions/";>
total snooping on the user's browsing</a>, and many of them do so.</p>
+Section: google surveillance chrome
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p>Google Chrome makes it easy for an extension to do <a
href="https://labs.detectify.com/2015/07/28/how-i-disabled-your-chrome-security-extensions/";>total
snooping on the user's browsing</a>, and many of them do so.</p>
Id: -201507240
PubDate: 2015-07-24
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Vizio “smart” TVs recognize and <a
href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/07/24/vizio-ipo-inscape-acr/";> track what
people are watching</a>, even if it isn't a TV channel.</p>
+Section: surveillance tvsets appliances
+Keyword: vizio
+Blurb: <p>Vizio “smart” TVs recognize and <a
href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/07/24/vizio-ipo-inscape-acr/";>track what
people are watching</a>, even if it isn't a TV channel.</p>
-Id: -201507211
+Id: -201507214
PubDate: 2015-07-21
Section: cars insecurity
Keyword: jeep
@@ -1645,21 +1580,15 @@
+
+ <p>If I ever own a car, and it contains a portable phone, I will deactivate
that.</p>
-Id: -201507210
-PubDate: 2015-07-21
-Section: apple tyrants
-Keyword: ithings
-Blurb: <p>The iThings are tyrant devices: they do not permit installing a
different or modified operating system. There is a port of Android to the
iThings, but installing it requires <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150721065208/http://www.idroidproject.org/wiki/Status";>
finding a bug or “exploit”</a> to make it possible to install a
different system.</p>
-
Id: -201507170
PubDate: 2007-09-13
PubDate: 2007-08-26
PubDate: 2015-07-17
-Section: microsoft back-doors
-Keyword: windows universal
-Blurb: <p>Microsoft Windows has a universal back door through which <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071011010707/http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201806263";>
any change whatsoever can be imposed on the users</a>.</p>
+Section: back-doors universal microsoft backdoor
+Keyword: windows-update
+Blurb: <p>Microsoft Windows has a universal back door through which <a
href="http://www.informationweek.com/microsoft-updates-windows-without-user-permission-apologizes/d/d-id/1059183";>
any change whatsoever can be imposed on the users</a>.</p>
+
-+ <p>More information on when <a
href="http://slated.org/windows_by_stealth_the_updates_you_dont_want";> this was
used</a>.</p>
++ <p>This was <a
href="http://slated.org/windows_by_stealth_the_updates_you_dont_want";>reported
in 2007</a> for XP and Vista, and it seems that Microsoft used the same method
to push the <a
href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html#windows10-forcing">Windows 10
downgrade</a> to computers running Windows 7 and 8.</p>
+
+ <p>In Windows 10, the universal back door is no longer hidden; all
“upgrades” will be <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/07/windows-10-updates-to-be-automatic-and-mandatory-for-home-users/";>forcibly
and immediately imposed</a>.</p>
@@ -1671,17 +1600,17 @@
Id: -201507030
PubDate: 2015-07-03
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Samsung phones come with <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/07/samsung-sued-for-loading-devices-with-unremovable-crapware-in-china/";>
apps that users can't delete</a>, and they send so much data that their
transmission is a substantial expense for users. Said transmission, not wanted
or requested by the user, clearly must constitute spying of some kind.</p>
+Section: surveillance android mobiles
+Keyword: samsung
+Blurb: <p>Samsung phones come with <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/07/samsung-sued-for-loading-devices-with-unremovable-crapware-in-china/";>apps
that users can't delete</a>, and they send so much data that their
transmission is a substantial expense for users. Said transmission, not wanted
or requested by the user, clearly must constitute spying of some kind.</p>
-Id: -201506261
+Id: -201506264
PubDate: 2015-06-26
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: android apps
-Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.privmetrics.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wisec2015.pdf";> A
study in 2015</a> found that 90% of the top-ranked gratis proprietary Android
apps contained recognizable tracking libraries. For the paid proprietary apps,
it was only 60%.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: android
+Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.privmetrics.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wisec2015.pdf";>A
study in 2015</a> found that 90% of the top-ranked gratis proprietary Android
apps contained recognizable tracking libraries. For the paid proprietary apps,
it was only 60%.</p>
+
-+ <p>The article confusingly describes gratis apps as “free”, but
most of them are not in fact <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html"> free
software</a>. It also uses the ugly word “monetize”. A good
replacement for that word is “exploit”; nearly always that will fit
perfectly.</p>
++ <p>The article confusingly describes gratis apps as “free”, but
most of them are not in fact <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free
software</a>. It also uses the ugly word “monetize”. A good
replacement for that word is “exploit”; nearly always that will fit
perfectly.</p>
Id: -201506260
PubDate: 2015-06-26
@@ -1699,13 +1628,13 @@
Id: -201506180
PubDate: 2015-06-18
-Section: google surveillance
-Keyword: chrome
+Section: google surveillance chrome
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Google Chrome includes a module that <a
href="https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2015/06/google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth/";>
activates microphones and transmits audio to its servers</a>.</p>
Id: -201506170
PubDate: 2015-06-17
-Section: surveillance microsoft windows
+Section: surveillance windows microsoft
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Microsoft uses Windows 10's “privacy policy” to overtly
impose a “right” to look at users' files at any time. Windows 10
full disk encryption <a
href="https://edri.org/microsofts-new-small-print-how-your-personal-data-abused/";>
gives Microsoft a key</a>.</p>
+
@@ -1723,7 +1652,7 @@
Keyword: health
Blurb: <p>Due to bad security in a drug pump, crackers could use it to <a
href="http://www.wired.com/2015/06/hackers-can-send-fatal-doses-hospital-drug-pumps/";>
kill patients</a>.</p>
-Id: -201505291
+Id: -201505294
PubDate: 2015-05-29
Section: insecurity mobiles
Keyword: apps
@@ -1731,15 +1660,15 @@
Id: -201505290
PubDate: 2015-05-29
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/05/verizon-fios-reps-know-what-tv-channels-you-watch/";>
Verizon cable TV snoops on what programs people watch, and even what they
wanted to record</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance tvsets appliances
+Keyword: verizon
+Blurb: <p><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/05/verizon-fios-reps-know-what-tv-channels-you-watch/";>Verizon
cable TV snoops on what programs people watch, and even what they wanted to
record</a>.</p>
Id: -201505060
PubDate: 2015-05-06
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Gratis Android apps (but not <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">
free software</a>) connect to 100 <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/06/free-android-apps-connect-tracking-advertising-websites";>
tracking and advertising</a> URLs, on the average.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: android
+Blurb: <p>Gratis Android apps (but not <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free
software</a>) connect to 100 <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/06/free-android-apps-connect-tracking-advertising-websites";>
tracking and advertising</a> URLs, on the average.</p>
Id: -201505050
PubDate: 2015-05-05
@@ -1751,30 +1680,35 @@
Id: -201504300
PubDate: 2015-04-30
-Section: sabotage tvsets surveillance
+Section: sabotage surveillance tvsets
Keyword: vizio
Blurb: <p>Vizio <a
href="http://boingboing.net/2015/04/30/telescreen-watch-vizio-adds-s.html";>
used a firmware “upgrade” to make its TVs snoop on what users
watch</a>. The TVs did not do that when first sold.</p>
-Id: -201504091
-PubDate: 2015-04-09
-Section: back-doors other apple
-Keyword: macos sabotage
-Blurb: <p>Mac OS X had an <a
href="https://truesecdev.wordpress.com/2015/04/09/hidden-backdoor-api-to-root-privileges-in-apple-os-x/";>
intentional local back door for 4 years</a>, which could be exploited by
attackers to gain root privileges.</p>
-
Id: -201504090
PubDate: 2015-04-09
-Section: sabotage
-Keyword: back-doors other apple macos
+Section: back-doors other sabotage apple
+Keyword: macos
Blurb: <p>Mac OS X had an <a
href="https://truesecdev.wordpress.com/2015/04/09/hidden-backdoor-api-to-root-privileges-in-apple-os-x/";>
intentional local back door for 4 years</a>, which could be exploited by
attackers to gain root privileges.</p>
Id: -201504060
PubDate: 2015-04-06
-Section: surveillance mobiles
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
Keyword: qr-code
-Blurb: <p>Widely used <a
href="https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/kollarssmith/scan-this-or-scan-me-user-privacy-barcode-scanning-applications/";>
proprietary QR-code scanner apps snoop on the user</a>. This is in addition to
the snooping done by the phone company, and perhaps by the OS in the phone.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Widely used <a
href="https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/kollarssmith/scan-this-or-scan-me-user-privacy-barcode-scanning-applications/";>proprietary
QR-code scanner apps snoop on the user</a>. This is in addition to the
snooping done by the phone company, and perhaps by the OS in the phone.</p>
+
+ <p>Don't be distracted by the question of whether the app developers get
users to say “I agree”. That is no excuse for malware.</p>
+Id: -201503260
+PubDate: 2014-04-10
+PubDate: 2015-03-26
+Section: sabotage microsoft
+Keyword: windows
+Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.computerworlduk.com/it-business/windows-xp-end-of-an-era-end-of-an-error-3569489/";>Microsoft
cut off security fixes for Windows XP, except to some big users that pay
exorbitantly</a>.</p>
++
++ <p>Microsoft is going to <a
href="https://www.computerworlduk.com/applications/more-than-half-of-all-ie-users-face-patch-axe-in-10-months-3605515/";>
cut off support for some Internet Explorer versions</a> in the same way.</p>
++
++ <p>A person or company has the right to cease to work on a particular
program; the wrong here is Microsoft does this after having made the users
dependent on Microsoft, because they are not free to ask anyone else to work on
the program for them.</p>
+
Id: -201503210
PubDate: 2015-03-21
Section: sabotage amazon swindle-backdoor
@@ -1783,20 +1717,20 @@
Id: -201502180
PubDate: 2015-02-18
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Barbie <a
href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/wi-fi-spy-barbie-records-childrens-5177673";>
is going to spy on children and adults</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance toys appliances
+Keyword: barbie
+Blurb: <p>Barbie <a
href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/wi-fi-spy-barbie-records-childrens-5177673";>is
going to spy on children and adults</a>.</p>
Id: -201502090
PubDate: 2015-02-09
PubDate: 2015-02-09
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>The Samsung “Smart” TV <a
href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/02/who-s-the-third-party-that-samsung-and-lg-smart-tvs-are-sharing-your-voice-data-with/index.htm";>
transmits users' voice on the internet to another company, Nuance</a>. Nuance
can save it and would then have to give it to the US or some other
government.</p>
+Section: surveillance tvsets appliances
+Keyword: samsung
+Blurb: <p>The Samsung “Smart” TV <a
href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/02/who-s-the-third-party-that-samsung-and-lg-smart-tvs-are-sharing-your-voice-data-with/index.htm";>transmits
users' voice on the internet to another company, Nuance</a>. Nuance can save
it and would then have to give it to the US or some other government.</p>
+
+ <p>Speech recognition is not to be trusted unless it is done by free
software in your own computer.</p>
+
-+ <p>In its privacy policy, Samsung explicitly confirms that <a
href="http://theweek.com/speedreads/538379/samsung-warns-customers-not-discuss-personal-information-front-smart-tvs";>
voice data containing sensitive information will be transmitted to third
parties</a>.</p>
++ <p>In its privacy policy, Samsung explicitly confirms that <a
href="http://theweek.com/speedreads/538379/samsung-warns-customers-not-discuss-personal-information-front-smart-tvs";>voice
data containing sensitive information will be transmitted to third
parties</a>.</p>
Id: -201502060
PubDate: 2015-02-06
@@ -1812,7 +1746,7 @@
Id: -201412180
PubDate: 2014-12-18
-Section: back-doors universal mobile
+Section: back-doors universal mobiles
Keyword: coolpad android
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/18/chinese-android-phones-coolpad-hacker-backdoor";>
A Chinese version of Android has a universal back door</a>. Nearly all models
of mobile phones have a <a href="#universal-back-door"> universal back door in
the modem chip</a>. So why did Coolpad bother to introduce another? Because
this one is controlled by Coolpad.</p>
@@ -1826,29 +1760,29 @@
PubDate: 2014-12-04
Section: apple sabotage
Keyword: ithings
-Blurb: <p>Apple <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/04/apple-deleted-music-ipods-rivals-steve-jobs";>
deleted from iPods the music that users had got from internet music stores
that competed with iTunes</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Apple <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/04/apple-deleted-music-ipods-rivals-steve-jobs";>deleted
from iPods the music that users had got from internet music stores that
competed with iTunes</a>.</p>
Id: -201412010
PubDate: 2014-12-01
Section: apple tyrants
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Apple arbitrarily <a
href="http://9to5mac.com/2014/12/01/ios-8-1-signing-window-closed/";> blocks
users from installing old versions of iOS</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Apple arbitrarily <a
href="http://9to5mac.com/2014/12/01/ios-8-1-signing-window-closed/";>blocks
users from installing old versions of iOS</a>.</p>
Id: -201411260
PubDate: 2014-11-26
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: apps
-Blurb: <p>Many proprietary apps for mobile devices report which other apps the
user has installed. <a
href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/26/twitter-app-graph/";> Twitter is doing
this in a way that at least is visible and optional</a>. Not as bad as what the
others do.</p>
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p>Many proprietary apps for mobile devices report which other apps the
user has installed. <a
href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/26/twitter-app-graph/";>Twitter is doing
this in a way that at least is visible and optional</a>. Not as bad as what the
others do.</p>
Id: -201411090
PubDate: 2014-11-09
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>The Amazon “Smart” TV <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2014/nov/09/amazon-echo-smart-tv-watching-listening-surveillance";>
is snooping all the time</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance tvsets appliances
+Keyword: amazon
+Blurb: <p>The Amazon “Smart” TV <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2014/nov/09/amazon-echo-smart-tv-watching-listening-surveillance";>is
snooping all the time</a>.</p>
Id: -201411040
PubDate: 2014-11-04
-Section: surveillance apple macos
+Section: surveillance macos apple
Keyword: system
Blurb: <p>Apple has made various <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/04/apple-data-privacy-icloud";>
MacOS programs send files to Apple servers without asking permission</a>.
This exposes the files to Big Brother and perhaps to other snoops.</p>
+
@@ -1857,19 +1791,19 @@
Id: -201410300
PubDate: 2014-10-30
PubDate: 2014-10-28
-Section: surveillance apple macos
-Keyword: apps
+Section: surveillance macos apple
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/10/30/how-one-mans-private-files-ended-up-on-apples-icloud-without-his-consent/";>
MacOS automatically sends to Apple servers unsaved documents being edited</a>.
The <a
href="https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2014/10/apple_copies_yo.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter/";>
things you have not decided to save are even more sensitive than the things
you have stored in files</a>.</p>
Id: -201410220
PubDate: 2014-10-22
-Section: surveillance apple macos
+Section: surveillance macos apple
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Apple admits the <a
href="http://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/spotlight-suggestions-in-os-x-yosemite-and-ios-are-you-staying-private/";>
spying in a search facility</a>, but there's a lot <a
href="https://github.com/fix-macosx/yosemite-phone-home";> more snooping that
Apple has not talked about</a>.</p>
Id: -201410200
PubDate: 2014-10-20
-Section: surveillance apple macos
+Section: surveillance macos apple
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Various operations in <a
href="http://lifehacker.com/safari-and-spotlight-can-send-data-to-apple-heres-how-1648453540";>
the latest MacOS send reports to Apple</a> servers.</p>
@@ -1877,27 +1811,33 @@
PubDate: 2014-10-13
Section: sabotage games
Keyword: nintendo wii
-Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/10/nintendo-updates-take-wii-u-hostage-until-you-agree-new-legal-terms";>
Nintendo remotely sabotaged all Wiis, making them refuse to work unless the
user agrees to a new EULA</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/10/nintendo-updates-take-wii-u-hostage-until-you-agree-new-legal-terms";>Nintendo
remotely sabotaged all Wiis, making them refuse to work unless the user agrees
to a new EULA</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>We can be quite sure this EULA is unjust because injustice is the only
motive for imposing an EULA.</p>
+Id: -201410081
+PubDate: 2014-10-08
+Section: drm
+Keyword: surveillance adobe e-readers
+Blurb: <p>Adobe made “Digital Editions,” the e-reader used by most
US libraries, spy on the user <a
href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/blogs/open-enterprise/drm-strikes-again-3575860/";>for
the sake of DRM.</a></p>
+
Id: -201410080
PubDate: 2014-10-08
-Section: surveillance drm adobe
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Adobe made “Digital Editions,” the e-reader used by most
US libraries, <a
href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/blogs/open-enterprise/drm-strikes-again-3575860/";>
spy on the user for the sake of DRM</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance adobe e-readers
+Keyword: drm
+Blurb: <p>Adobe made “Digital Editions,” the e-reader used by most
US libraries, <a
href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/blogs/open-enterprise/drm-strikes-again-3575860/";>
send lots of data to Adobe</a>. Adobe's “excuse”: it's needed to
check DRM!</p>
Id: -201410040
PubDate: 2014-10-04
-Section: surveillance microsoft windows
+Section: surveillance windows microsoft
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>It only gets worse with time. <a
href="http://www.techworm.net/2014/10/microsofts-windows-10-permission-watch-every-move.html";>
Windows 10 requires users to give permission for total snooping</a>, including
their files, their commands, their text input, and their voice input.</p>
Id: -201409290
PubDate: 2014-09-29
-Section:
+Section: surveillance tvsets appliances
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>More or less all “smart” TVs <a
href="http://www.myce.com/news/reseachers-all-smart-tvs-spy-on-you-sony-monitors-all-channel-switches-72851/";>
spy on their users</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>More or less all “smart” TVs <a
href="http://www.myce.com/news/reseachers-all-smart-tvs-spy-on-you-sony-monitors-all-channel-switches-72851/";>spy
on their users</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The report was as of 2014, but we don't expect this has got better.</p>
+
@@ -1909,8 +1849,8 @@
PubDate: 2014-05-08
PubDate: 2014-09-17
PubDate: 2014-09-22
-Section: surveillance apple
-Keyword: ithings back-doors
+Section: back-doors spy surveillance ithings apple
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Apple can, and regularly does, <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/05/new-guidelines-outline-what-iphone-data-apple-can-give-to-police/";>
remotely extract some data from iPhones for the state</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This may have improved with <a
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/2014/09/17/2612af58-3ed2-11e4-b03f-de718edeb92f_story.html";>
iOS 8 security improvements</a>; but <a
href="https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/09/22/apple-data/";> not as much
as Apple claims</a>.</p>
@@ -1923,20 +1863,20 @@
Id: -201407230
PubDate: 2014-07-23
-Section:
+Section: apple surveillance ithings
Keyword:
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/23/iphone-backdoors-surveillance-forensic-services";>
Several “features” of iOS seem to exist for no possible purpose
other than surveillance</a>. Here is the <a
href="http://www.zdziarski.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/iOS_Backdoors_Attack_Points_Surveillance_Mechanisms_Moved.pdf";>
Technical presentation</a>.</p>
Id: -201407170
PubDate: 2014-07-17
-Section: surveillance appliances google
+Section: surveillance home appliances google
Keyword: nest
Blurb: <p id="nest-thermometers">Nest thermometers send <a
href="http://bgr.com/2014/07/17/google-nest-jailbreak-hack";>a lot of data about
the user</a>.</p>
Id: -201407090
PubDate: 2014-07-09
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance watches
+Keyword: wearables
Blurb: <p>An LG “smart” watch is designed <a
href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/07/09/lg-kizon-smart-watch_n_5570234.html";>
to report its location to someone else and to transmit conversations
too</a>.</p>
Id: -201405250
@@ -1950,8 +1890,8 @@
PubDate: 2013-11-18
PubDate: 2013-11-21
PubDate: 2014-05-20
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance tvsets appliances
+Keyword: lg
Blurb: <p>Spyware in <a
href="http://doctorbeet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lg-smart-tvs-logging-usb-filenames-and.html";>
LG “smart” TVs</a> reports what the user watches, and the switch
to turn this off has no effect. (The fact that the transmission reports a 404
error really means nothing; the server could save that data anyway.)</p>
+
+ <p>Even worse, it <a
href="http://rambles.renney.me/2013/11/lg-tv-logging-filenames-from-network-folders/";>
snoops on other devices on the user's local network</a>.</p>
@@ -1962,7 +1902,7 @@
Id: -201405190
PubDate: 2014-05-19
-Section: insecurity tethers
+Section: insecurity
Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>An app to prevent “identity theft” (access to personal
data) by storing users' data on a special server <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/05/id-theft-protector-lifelock-deletes-user-data-over-concerns-that-app-isnt-safe/";>was
deactivated by its developer</a> which had discovered a security flaw.</p>
+
@@ -1970,7 +1910,7 @@
Id: -201405140
PubDate: 2014-05-14
-Section: microsoft surveillance
+Section: microsoft surveillance websites
Keyword: skydrive
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.itproportal.com/2014/05/14/microsoft-openly-offered-cloud-data-fbi-and-nsa/";>
Microsoft SkyDrive allows the NSA to directly examine users' data</a>.</p>
@@ -1982,8 +1922,8 @@
Id: -201405080
PubDate: 2014-05-08
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance apple itrucs
+Keyword: iphone
Blurb: <p>Apple can, and regularly does, <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/05/new-guidelines-outline-what-iphone-data-apple-can-give-to-police/";>
remotely extract some data from iPhones for the state</a>.</p>
Id: -201404250
@@ -1994,20 +1934,20 @@
Id: -201403150
PubDate: 2014-03-15
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: tyrants
+Keyword: intel
Blurb: <p><a href="http://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=14/03/15/1912255";>
Intel processors will have tyrant software built in</a>.</p>
Id: -201403121
PubDate: 2014-03-12
-Section: back-doors alter-data mobiles
+Section: back-doors alter-data mobiles backdoor
Keyword: samsung android
Blurb: <p id="samsung"><a
href="https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/replicant-developers-find-and-close-samsung-galaxy-backdoor";>
Samsung Galaxy devices running proprietary Android versions come with a back
door</a> that provides remote access to the files stored on the device.</p>
Id: -201403120
PubDate: 2014-03-12
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance android mobiles
+Keyword: back-doors
Blurb: <p><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html#samsung">
Samsung's back door</a> provides access to any file on the system.</p>
Id: -201402210
@@ -2035,7 +1975,7 @@
PubDate: 2012-11-13
PubDate: 2014-01-27
Section: games surveillance
-Keyword: Angry Birds
+Keyword: angry-birds
Blurb: <p>Angry Birds <a
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/world/spy-agencies-scour-phone-apps-for-personal-data.html";>
spies for companies, and the NSA takes advantage to spy through it too</a>.
Here's information on <a
href="http://confabulator.blogspot.com/2012/11/analysis-of-what-information-angry.html";>
more spyware apps</a>.</p>
+
+ <p><a
href="http://www.propublica.org/article/spy-agencies-probe-angry-birds-and-other-apps-for-personal-data";>
More about NSA app spying</a>.</p>
@@ -2046,27 +1986,33 @@
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Some proprietary <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/19/apple-talking-cats-in-app-purchases";>
games lure children to spend their parents' money</a>.</p>
+Id: -201401151
+PubDate: 2014-01-15
+Section: surveillance apps
+Keyword: baidu
+Blurb: <p>Baidu's <a href="#baidu-ime">spying <abbr title="Input Method
Editor">IME</abbr></a> is also available for smartphones.</p>
+
Id: -201401150
PubDate: 2014-01-15
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/asian-technology/japanese-government-warns-baidu-ime-is-spying-on-users/";>
Baidu's Japanese-input and Chinese-input apps spy on users</a>.</p>
+Section: surveillance windows
+Keyword: baidu
+Blurb: <p id="baidu-ime"><a
href="https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/asian-technology/japanese-government-warns-baidu-ime-is-spying-on-users/";>
Baidu's Japanese-input and Chinese-input apps spy on users</a>.</p>
Id: -201401101
PubDate: 2014-01-10
-Section: surveillance apple macos
+Section: surveillance macos apple
Keyword:
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/privacy-advocates-worry-over-new-apple-iphone-tracking-feature-161836223.html";>
Spotlight search</a> sends users' search terms to Apple.</p>
Id: -201401100
PubDate: 2014-01-10
-Section: surveillance apple ithings
+Section: surveillance ithings apple
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>The <a class="not-a-duplicate"
href="http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/privacy-advocates-worry-over-new-apple-iphone-tracking-feature-161836223.html";>
iBeacon</a> lets stores determine exactly where the iThing is, and get other
info too.</p>
Id: -201312300
PubDate: 2013-12-30
-Section:
+Section: apple surveillance ithings
Keyword:
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-30/how-nsa-hacks-your-iphone-presenting-dropout-jeep";>
Either Apple helps the NSA snoop on all the data in an iThing, or it is
totally incompetent</a>.</p>
@@ -2080,14 +2026,14 @@
Id: -201312270
PubDate: 2013-12-27
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: snapchat
Blurb: <p>The nonfree Snapchat app's principal purpose is to restrict the use
of data on the user's computer, but it does surveillance too: <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/27/snapchat-may-be-exposed-hackers";>
it tries to get the user's list of other people's phone numbers</a>.</p>
Id: -201312060
PubDate: 2013-12-06
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: flashlight
Blurb: <p>The Brightest Flashlight app <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/dec/06/android-app-50m-downloads-sent-data-advertisers";>
sends user data, including geolocation, for use by companies</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The FTC criticized this app because it asked the user to approve sending
personal data to the app developer but did not ask about sending it to other
companies. This shows the weakness of the reject-it-if-you-dislike-snooping
“solution” to surveillance: why should a flashlight app send any
information to anyone? A free software flashlight app would not.</p>
@@ -2101,7 +2047,7 @@
Id: -201311300
PubDate: 2013-11-30
Section: back-doors universal
-Keyword: apps myfreeproxy pua
+Keyword: myfreeproxy pua
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.techienews.co.uk/973462/bitcoin-miners-bundled-pups-legitimate-applications-backed-eula/";>
Some applications come with MyFreeProxy, which is a universal back door that
can download programs and run them</a>.</p>
Id: -201311130
@@ -2110,22 +2056,6 @@
Keyword:
Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/11/drm-cars-will-drive-consumers-crazy";>
DRM in Cars Will Drive Consumers Crazy</a>.</p>
-Id: -201311121
-PubDate: 2006-12-05
-PubDate: 2013-11-12
-PubDate: 2013-07-22
-Section: back-doors universal phone
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p id="universal-back-door">Almost every phone's communication
processor has a universal back door which is <a
href="https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/12/remotely_eavesd_1.html";>
often used to make a phone transmit all conversations it hears</a>.</p>
-+
-+ <p>The back door <a
href="http://www.osnews.com/story/27416/The_second_operating_system_hiding_in_every_mobile_phone";>
may take the form of bugs that have gone 20 years unfixed</a>. The choice to
leave the security holes in place is morally equivalent to writing a back
door.</p>
-+
-+ <p>The back door is in the “modem processor”, whose job is to
communicate with the radio network. In most phones, the modem processor
controls the microphone. In most phones it has the power to rewrite the
software for the main processor too.</p>
-+
-+ <p>A few phone models are specially designed so that the modem processor
does not control the microphone, and so that it can't change the software in
the main processor. They still have the back door, but at least it is unable
to turn the phone unto a listening device.</p>
-+
-+ <p>The universal back door is apparently also used to make phones <a
href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/07/22/nsa_can_reportedly_track_cellphones_even_when_they_re_turned_off.html";>
transmit even when they are turned off</a>. This means their movements are
tracked, and may also make the listening feature work.</p>
-
Id: -201311120
PubDate: 2013-09-07
PubDate: 2013-11-12
@@ -2135,23 +2065,23 @@
Id: -201310260
PubDate: 2013-10-26
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance home
+Keyword: rent-to-own
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://consumerman.com/Rent-to-own%20giant%20accused%20of%20spying%20on%20its%20customers.htm";>
Rent-to-own computers were programmed to spy on their renters</a>.</p>
Id: -201310110
PubDate: 2013-10-11
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance webpages javascript
+Keyword: flash
Blurb: <p>Flash and JavaScript are also used for <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/10/top-sites-and-maybe-the-nsa-track-users-with-device-fingerprinting/";>
“fingerprinting” devices</a> to identify users.</p>
Id: -201310070
PubDate: 2013-10-07
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: drm
+Keyword: dvd bluray
Blurb: <p id="bluray"><a
href="http://web.archive.org/web/20131007102857/http://www.nclnet.org/technology/73-digital-rights-management/124-whos-driving-the-copyright-laws-consumers-insist-on-the-right-to-back-it-up";>
DVDs and Bluray disks have DRM</a>.</p>
+
-+ <p>That page uses spin terms that favor DRM, including <a
href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#DigitalRightsManagement"> digital
“rights” management</a> and <a
href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Protection"> “protect”</a>,
and it claims that “artists” (rather than companies) are primarily
responsible for putting digital restrictions management into these disks.
Nonetheless, it is a reference for the facts.</p>
++ <p>That page uses spin terms that favor DRM, including <a
href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#DigitalRightsManagement"> digital
“rights” management</a> and <a
href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Protection">“protect”</a>,
and it claims that “artists” (rather than companies) are primarily
responsible for putting digital restrictions management into these disks.
Nonetheless, it is a reference for the facts.</p>
+
+ <p>Every Bluray disk (with few, rare exceptions) has DRM—so don't use
Bluray disks!</p>
@@ -2161,7 +2091,7 @@
Keyword: bitlocker microsoft
Blurb: <p>Here is a big problem whose details are still secret: <a
href="http://mashable.com/2013/09/11/fbi-microsoft-bitlocker-backdoor/";> The
FBI asks lots of companies to put back doors in proprietary programs</a>. We
don't know of specific cases where this was done, but every proprietary program
for encryption is a possibility.</p>
-Id: -201309051
+Id: -201309054
PubDate: 2013-09-05
Section: sabotage insecurity
Keyword: encryption
@@ -2183,9 +2113,9 @@
Id: -201308230
PubDate: 2013-08-23
-Section: back-doors other microsoft windows
-Keyword: tpm
-Blurb: <p>The German government <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160310201616/http://drleonardcoldwell.com/2013/08/23/leaked-german-government-warns-key-entities-not-to-use-windows-8-linked-to-nsa/";>veers
away from Windows 8 computers with TPM 2.0 due to potential back door
capabilities of the TPM 2.0 chip</a>.</p>
+Section: back-doors other microsoft backdoor
+Keyword: windows tpm
+Blurb: <p>The German government <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160310201616/http://drleonardcoldwell.com/2013/08/23/leaked-german-government-warns-key-entities-not-to-use-windows-8-linked-to-nsa/";>veers
away from Windows 8 computers with TPM 2.0</a>, due to potential back door
capabilities of the TPM 2.0 chip.</p>
Id: -201308080
PubDate: 2013-08-08
@@ -2201,20 +2131,20 @@
Id: -201308040
PubDate: 2013-08-04
-Section:
+Section: surveillance chrome google
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Google Chrome <a
href="https://www.brad-x.com/2013/08/04/google-chrome-is-spyware/";> spies on
browser history, affiliations</a>, and other installed software.</p>
Id: -201308010
PubDate: 2013-08-01
-Section: google surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: android
-Blurb: <p>Spyware in Android phones (and Windows? laptops): The Wall Street
Journal (in an article blocked from us by a paywall) reports that <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/1/4580718/fbi-can-remotely-activate-android-and-laptop-microphones-reports-wsj";>
the FBI can remotely activate the GPS and microphone in Android phones and
laptops</a>. (I suspect this means Windows laptops.) Here is <a
href="http://cryptome.org/2013/08/fbi-hackers.htm";> more info</a>.</p>
+Section: google surveillance android mobiles
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p>Spyware in Android phones (and Windows? laptops): The Wall Street
Journal (in an article blocked from us by a paywall) reports that <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/1/4580718/fbi-can-remotely-activate-android-and-laptop-microphones-reports-wsj";>
the FBI can remotely activate the GPS and microphone in Android phones and
laptops</a>. (I suspect this means Windows laptops.) Here is <a
href="http://cryptome.org/2013/08/fbi-hackers.htm";>more info</a>.</p>
Id: -201307280
PubDate: 2013-07-28
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: android motorola
+Section: surveillance android mobiles
+Keyword: motorola
Blurb: <p>Spyware is present in some Android devices when they are sold. Some
Motorola phones modify Android to <a
href="http://www.beneaththewaves.net/Projects/Motorola_Is_Listening.html";> send
personal data to Motorola</a>.</p>
Id: -201307270
@@ -2233,11 +2163,11 @@
Id: -201307250
PubDate: 2013-07-25
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance android mobiles
+Keyword: motorola
Blurb: <p>A Motorola phone <a
href="http://www.itproportal.com/2013/07/25/motorolas-new-x8-arm-chip-underpinning-the-always-on-future-of-android/";>
listens for voice all the time</a>.</p>
-Id: -201307111
+Id: -201307114
PubDate: 2013-07-11
Section: back-doors other appliances
Keyword: hp lefthand
@@ -2247,37 +2177,27 @@
PubDate: 2013-07-11
Section: microsoft surveillance skype
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Spyware in Skype: <a
href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2013/06/20/project-chess-how-u-s-snoops-on-your-skype/";>
http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2013/06/20/project-chess-how-u-s-snoops-on-your-skype/</a>.
Microsoft changed Skype <a
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data";>
specifically for spying</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Skype contains <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130928235637/http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2013/06/20/project-chess-how-u-s-snoops-on-your-skype/";>spyware</a>.
Microsoft changed Skype <a
href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data";>
specifically for spying</a>.</p>
Id: -201307080
PubDate: 2003-02-28
PubDate: 2013-07-08
PubDate: 2013-06-10
-Section: microsoft surveillance windows
+Section: surveillance windows microsoft
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Spyware in older versions of Windows: <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160313105805/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/02/28/windows_update_keeps_tabs/";>
Windows Update snoops on the user</a>. <a
href="https://www.infoworld.com/article/2611451/microsoft-windows/a-look-at-the-black-underbelly-of-windows-8-1--blue-.html";>
Windows 8.1 snoops on local searches</a>. And there's a <a
href="http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article40836.html";> secret NSA key in
Windows</a>, whose functions we don't know.</p>
Id: -201307000
PubDate: 2013-07
-Section: surveillance mobiles
+Section: surveillance mobiles phones
Keyword: gps
Blurb: <p>Portable phones with GPS will send their GPS location on remote
command and users cannot stop them: <a
href="http://www.aclu.org/government-location-tracking-cell-phones-gps-devices-and-license-plate-readers";>
http://www.aclu.org/government-location-tracking-cell-phones-gps-devices-and-license-plate-readers</a>.
(The US says it will eventually require all new portable phones to have
GPS.)</p>
-Id: -201306221
-PubDate: 2013-06-22
-Section: microsoft sabotage
-Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/blogs/open-enterprise/windows-xp-end-of-an-era-end-of-an-error-3569489/";>
Microsoft cut off security fixes for Windows XP, except to some big users that
pay exorbitantly</a>.</p>
-+
-+ <p>Microsoft is going to <a
href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/security/3605515/more-than-half-of-all-ie-users-face-patch-axe-in-10-months/";>
cut off support for some Internet Explorer versions</a> in the same way.</p>
-+
-+ <p>A person or company has the right to cease to work on a particular
program; the wrong here is Microsoft does this after having made the users
dependent on Microsoft, because they are not free to ask anyone else to work on
the program for them.</p>
-
Id: -201306220
PubDate: 2013-06-22
Section: microsoft sabotage
Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <p><a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130622044225/http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2013/06/how-can-any-company-ever-trust-microsoft-again/index.htm";>
Microsoft informs the NSA of bugs in Windows before fixing them</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p><a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130622044225/http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2013/06/how-can-any-company-ever-trust-microsoft-again/index.htm";>Microsoft
informs the NSA of bugs in Windows before fixing them</a>.</p>
Id: -201306140
PubDate: 2013-06-14
@@ -2289,15 +2209,15 @@
PubDate: 2013-05-10
Section: tethers sabotage adobe
Keyword: adobe
-Blurb: <p>Adobe applications <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160308062844/http://www.wired.com/2013/05/adobe-creative-cloud-petition/";>
require periodic connection to a server</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Adobe applications <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160308062844/http://www.wired.com/2013/05/adobe-creative-cloud-petition/";>require
periodic connection to a server</a>.</p>
Id: -201305060
PubDate: 2013-05-06
Section: sabotage adobe
-Keyword: adobe
-Blurb: <p>Adobe applications have time bombs: they <a
href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/06/adobe-goes-all-in-with-subscription-based-creative-cloud-will-stop-selling-regular-cs-licenses-shrink-wrapped-boxes/";>
stop working after a certain time</a>, after which the user must pay to extend
the time.</p>
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p>Adobe applications have time bombs: they <a
href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/06/adobe-goes-all-in-with-subscription-based-creative-cloud-will-stop-selling-regular-cs-licenses-shrink-wrapped-boxes/";>stop
working after a certain time</a>, after which the user must pay to extend the
time.</p>
+
-+ <p>Once there was a problem with the servers that these programs use to
check who has paid, and <a
href="http://www.macuser.co.uk/9015-adobe-creative-cloud-outage-leaves-adobe-users-locked-out";>
the applications refused to work for anyone</a>.</p>
++ <p>Once there was a problem with the servers that these programs use to
check who has paid, and <a
href="http://www.macuser.co.uk/9015-adobe-creative-cloud-outage-leaves-adobe-users-locked-out";>the
applications refused to work for anyone</a>.</p>
Id: -201304080
PubDate: 2013-04-08
@@ -2315,14 +2235,14 @@
PubDate: 2013-03-25
Section: surveillance cars
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p id="records-drivers">Proprietary software in cars <a
href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/03/24/car-spying-edr-data-privacy/1991751/";>
records information about drivers' movements</a>, which is made available to
car manufacturers, insurance companies, and others.</p>
+Blurb: <p id="records-drivers">Proprietary software in cars <a
href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/03/24/car-spying-edr-data-privacy/1991751/";>records
information about drivers' movements</a>, which is made available to car
manufacturers, insurance companies, and others.</p>
+
+ <p>The case of toll-collection systems, mentioned in this article, is not
really a matter of proprietary surveillance. These systems are an intolerable
invasion of privacy, and should be replaced with anonymous payment systems, but
the invasion isn't done by malware. The other cases mentioned are done by
proprietary malware in the car.</p>
Id: -201302150
PubDate: 2013-02-15
-Section: surveillance mobiles google
-Keyword: android apps
+Section: surveillance android mobiles google
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Google Play intentionally sends app developers <a
href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/google-play-store-policy-raises-privacy-concerns-331116";>
the personal details of users that install the app</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Merely asking the “consent” of users is not enough to
legitimize actions like this. At this point, most users have stopped reading
the “Terms and Conditions” that spell out what they are
“consenting” to. Google should clearly and honestly identify the
information it collects on users, instead of hiding it in an obscurely worded
EULA.</p>
@@ -2334,9 +2254,9 @@
PubDate: 2013-01-28
Section: sabotage
Keyword: oracle plugin
-Blurb: <p>Oracle's nonfree Java plug-in for browsers <a
href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/a-close-look-at-how-oracle-installs-deceptive-software-with-java-updates/";>
sneakily installs other annoying proprietary software</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Oracle's nonfree Java plug-in for browsers <a
href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/a-close-look-at-how-oracle-installs-deceptive-software-with-java-updates/";>sneakily
installs other annoying proprietary software</a>.</p>
+
-+ <p>That article disregards all other bad things about proprietary software.
For instance, it regards the inclusion of proprietary Flash Player (which has a
<a
href="http://www.imasuper.com/66/technology/flash-cookies-the-silent-privacy-killer/";>
surveillance feature</a> and DRM) in Chrome as a good thing. Chrome is a
proprietary browser with a universal back door.</p>
++ <p>That article disregards all other bad things about proprietary software.
For instance, it regards the inclusion of proprietary Flash Player (which has
a <a
href="http://www.imasuper.com/66/technology/flash-cookies-the-silent-privacy-killer/";>surveillance
feature</a> and DRM) in Chrome as a good thing. Chrome is a proprietary
browser with a universal back door.</p>
+
+ <p>We don't agree with the article's views on those issues, but we present
it as a factual reference.</p>
+
@@ -2344,15 +2264,15 @@
Id: -201212290
PubDate: 2012-12-29
-Section: surveillance mobiles
+Section: surveillance networks mobiles
Keyword: cisco
-Blurb: <p>Spyware in Cisco TNP IP phones:
(http://boingboing.net/2012/12/29/your-cisco-phone-is-listening.html)</p>
+Blurb: <p>Spyware in Cisco TNP IP phones: <a
href="http://boingboing.net/2012/12/29/your-cisco-phone-is-listening.html";>
http://boingboing.net/2012/12/29/your-cisco-phone-is-listening.html</a></p>
Id: -201212180
PubDate: 2012-12-18
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p><a href="http://wiki.samygo.tv/index.php?title=SamyGO_for_DUMMIES";>
Samsung “Smart” TVs have turned Linux into the base for a tyrant
system</a> so as to impose DRM. What enables Samsung to do this is that Linux
is released under GNU GPL version 2, <a href="/licenses/rms-why-gplv3.html">
not version 3</a>, together with a weak interpretation of GPL version 2.</p>
+Section: tyrants
+Keyword: samsung tvsets
+Blurb: <p><a
href="https://wiki.samygo.tv/index.php?title=SamyGO_for_DUMMIES#What_are_Restricted_Firmwares.3F";>
Samsung “Smart” TVs have turned Linux into the base for a tyrant
system</a> so as to impose DRM. What enables Samsung to do this is that Linux
is released under GNU GPL version 2, <a href="/licenses/rms-why-gplv3.html">not
version 3</a>, together with a weak interpretation of GPL version 2.</p>
Id: -201212170
PubDate: 2012-12-17
@@ -2362,34 +2282,34 @@
Id: -201212100
PubDate: 2012-12-10
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance apps mobiles
+Keyword: children
Blurb: <p>FTC says most mobile apps for children don't respect privacy: <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/12/ftc-disclosures-severely-lacking-in-kids-mobile-appsand-its-getting-worse/";>
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/12/ftc-disclosures-severely-lacking-in-kids-mobile-appsand-its-getting-worse/</a>.</p>
-Id: -201212030
+Id: -201212031
PubDate: 2012-12-03
-Section: amazon swindle-surveillance
+Section: amazon swindle-surveillance e-readers
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>The Electronic Frontier Foundation has examined and found <a
href="https://www.eff.org/pages/reader-privacy-chart-2012";>various kinds of
surveillance in the Swindle and other e-readers</a>.</p>
Id: -201212030
PubDate: 2012-12-03
-Section:
+Section: surveillance e-readers
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Spyware in many e-readers—not only the Kindle: <a
href="https://www.eff.org/pages/reader-privacy-chart-2012";> they report even
which page the user reads at what time</a>.</p>
Id: -201210240
PubDate: 2012-10-24
-Section:
+Section: surveillance webpages websites
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Many web sites rat their visitors to advertising networks that track
users. Of the top 1000 web sites, <a
href="https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/bclt/research/privacy-at-bclt/web-privacy-census/";>
84% (as of 5/17/2012) fed their visitors third-party cookies, allowing other
sites to track them</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Many web sites rat their visitors to advertising networks that track
users. Of the top 1000 web sites, <a
href="https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/bclt/research/privacy-at-bclt/web-privacy-census/";>84%
(as of 5/17/2012) fed their visitors third-party cookies, allowing other sites
to track them</a>.</p>
Id: -201210221
PubDate: 2009-07-17
PubDate: 2012-10-22
Section: amazon swindle-backdoor
-Keyword: back-doors
-Blurb: <p>The Amazon Kindle-Swindle has a back door that has been used to <a
href="http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/some-e-books-are-more-equal-than-others/";>
remotely erase books</a>. One of the books erased was 1984, by George
Orwell.</p>
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p>The Amazon Kindle-Swindle has a back door that has been used to <a
href="http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/some-e-books-are-more-equal-than-others/";>
remotely erase books</a>. One of the books erased was <cite>1984</cite>, by
George Orwell.</p>
+
+ <p>Amazon responded to criticism by saying it would delete books only
following orders from the state. However, that policy didn't last. In 2012 it
<a
href="http://boingboing.net/2012/10/22/kindle-user-claims-amazon-dele.html";>wiped
a user's Kindle-Swindle and deleted her account</a>, then offered her
kafkaesque “explanations.”</p>
@@ -2397,16 +2317,16 @@
PubDate: 2009-07-17
PubDate: 2012-10-22
Section: back-doors alter-data
-Keyword: amazon
-Blurb: <p id="swindle-eraser">The Amazon Kindle-Swindle has a back door that
has been used to <a
href="http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/some-e-books-are-more-equal-than-others/";>
remotely erase books</a>. One of the books erased was 1984, by George
Orwell.</p>
+Keyword:
+Blurb: <p id="swindle-eraser">The Amazon Kindle-Swindle has a back door that
has been used to <a
href="http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/some-e-books-are-more-equal-than-others/";>
remotely erase books</a>. One of the books erased was <cite>1984</cite>, by
George Orwell.</p>
+
-+ <p>Amazon responded to criticism by saying it would delete books only
following orders from the state. However, that policy didn't last. In 2012 it
<a href="http://boingboing.net/2012/10/22/kindle-user-claims-amazon-dele.html";>
wiped a user's Kindle-Swindle and deleted her account</a>, then offered her
kafkaesque “explanations.”</p>
++ <p>Amazon responded to criticism by saying it would delete books only
following orders from the state. However, that policy didn't last. In 2012 it
<a
href="http://boingboing.net/2012/10/22/kindle-user-claims-amazon-dele.html";>wiped
a user's Kindle-Swindle and deleted her account</a>, then offered her
kafkaesque “explanations.”</p>
+
+ <p>Do other ebook readers have back doors in their nonfree software? We
don't know, and we have no way to find out. There is no reason to assume that
they don't.</p>
Id: -201210170
PubDate: 2012-10-17
-Section:
+Section: apple surveillance ithings
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>There is also a feature for web sites to track users, which is <a
href="http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/10/17/how-to-disable-apple-ios-user-tracking-ios-6/";>
enabled by default</a>. (That article talks about iOS 6, but it is still true
in iOS 7.)</p>
@@ -2418,51 +2338,51 @@
Id: -201210020
PubDate: 2012-10-02
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Some LG TVs <a
href="http://openlgtv.org.ru/wiki/index.php/Achievements";> are tyrants</a>.</p>
+Section: tyrants appliances
+Keyword: lg tvsets
+Blurb: <p>Some LG TVs <a
href="http://openlgtv.org.ru/wiki/index.php/Achievements";>are tyrants</a>.</p>
Id: -201208210
PubDate: 2012-08-21
-Section: google website surveillance
+Section: google surveillance webpages websites
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Many web sites report all their visitors to Google by using the
Google Analytics service, which <a
href="http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/434164/google_analytics_breaks_norwegian_privacy_laws_local_agency_said/";>
tells Google the IP address and the page that was visited</a>.</p>
Id: -201205280
PubDate: 2012-05-28
-Section: apple tyrant
+Section: apple tyrants
Keyword: ithings
-Blurb: <p>The Apple iThings are tyrant devices. There is a port of Android to
the iThings, but installing it requires <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150405073541/http://www.idroidproject.org:80/wiki/Status";>
finding a bug or “exploit”</a> to make it possible to install a
different system.</p>
+Blurb: <p>The Apple iThings are tyrant devices. There is a port of Android to
the iThings, but installing it requires <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150721065208/http://www.idroidproject.org/wiki/Status";>
finding a bug or “exploit”</a> to make it possible to install a
different system.</p>
Id: -201204280
PubDate: 2012-04-28
-Section: apple surveillance
+Section: apple surveillance ithings
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Users cannot make an Apple ID (<a
href="https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/49951/how-can-i-download-free-apps-without-registering-an-apple-id";>necessary
to install even gratis apps</a>) without giving a valid email address and
receiving the code Apple sends to it.</p>
Id: -201202280
PubDate: 2012-02-28
Section: back-doors universal google
-Keyword: chromeos system
+Keyword: chromeos
Blurb: <p>ChromeOS has a universal back door. At least, Google says it
does—in <a
href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/chromebook/termsofservice.html";> section 4
of the EULA</a>.</p>
Id: -201200000
PubDate: 2012
-Section: surveillance webpage
+Section: surveillance webpages websites
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Many web sites try to collect users' address books (the user's list
of other people's phone numbers or email addresses). This violates the privacy
of those other people.</p>
Id: -201112080
PubDate: 2011-12-08
-Section: back-doors install-delete microsoft windows
-Keyword: system
+Section: back-doors install-delete microsoft backdoor
+Keyword: windows
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2500036/desktop-apps/microsoft--we-can-remotely-delete-windows-8-apps.html";>
Windows 8 also has a back door for remotely deleting apps</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>You might well decide to let a security service that you trust remotely
<em>deactivate</em> programs that it considers malicious. But there is no
excuse for <em>deleting</em> the programs, and you should have the right to
decide whom (if anyone) to trust in this way.</p>
Id: -201111170
PubDate: 2011-11-17
-Section: surveillance mobiles
+Section: surveillance android mobiles
Keyword: carrier-iq
Blurb: <p>Some manufacturers add a <a
href="http://androidsecuritytest.com/features/logs-and-services/loggers/carrieriq/";>
hidden general surveillance package such as Carrier IQ</a>.</p>
@@ -2474,15 +2394,15 @@
Id: -201110040
PubDate: 2011-10-04
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance webpages websites
+Keyword: facebook
Blurb: <p>Pages that contain “Like” buttons <a
href="https://www.smh.com.au/technology/facebooks-privacy-lie-aussie-exposes-tracking-as-new-patent-uncovered-20111004-1l61i.html";>
enable Facebook to track visitors to those pages</a>—even users that
don't have Facebook accounts.</p>
Id: -201105070
PubDate: 2011-05-07
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p><a href="http://boycottsony.org";> The Playstation 3 is a
tyrant</a>.</p>
+Section: tyrants games
+Keyword: sony playstation
+Blurb: <p><a href="https://www.defectivebydesign.org/sony";>The Playstation 3
is a tyrant</a>.</p>
Id: -201103110
PubDate: 2011-03-11
@@ -2494,7 +2414,7 @@
Id: -201103070
PubDate: 2011-03-07
PubDate: 2010-06-25
-Section: back-doors install-delete google mobiles
+Section: back-doors install-delete google mobiles backdoor
Keyword: system android
Blurb: <p>In Android, <a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2506557/security0/google-throws--kill-switch--on-android-phones.html";>
Google has a back door to remotely delete apps</a>. (It was in a program
called GTalkService, which seems since then to have been merged into Google
Play.)</p>
+
@@ -2504,13 +2424,13 @@
Id: -201102250
PubDate: 2011-02-25
-Section: google drm mobiles
+Section: google drm mobiles DRM
Keyword: android
-Blurb: <p>Android <a
href="https://developer.android.com/reference/android/drm/package-summary.html";>
contains facilities specifically to support DRM</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Android <a
href="https://developer.android.com/reference/android/drm/package-summary.html";>contains
facilities specifically to support DRM</a>.</p>
Id: -201011220
PubDate: 2010-11-22
-Section: back-doors alter-data apple
+Section: back-doors alter-data apple backdoor
Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <p>The iPhone has a back door for <a
href="http://www.npr.org/2010/11/22/131511381/wipeout-when-your-company-kills-your-iphone";>
remote wipe</a>. It's not always enabled, but users are led into enabling it
without understanding.</p>
@@ -2520,19 +2440,19 @@
Keyword: sony playstation
Blurb: <p>Sony <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/sony-steals-feature-from-your-playstation-3";>sabotaged
the Playstation 3</a> with a firmware downgrade that removed the feature that
allowed users to run GNU/Linux on it.</p>
+
-+ <p>Sony subsequently sent police after Geohot, after he cracked the code
that blocked users from changing the firmware, and we responded by calling for
a <a href="http://boycottsony.org";> boycott of Sony</a>.</p>
++ <p>Sony subsequently sent police after Geohot, after he cracked the code
that blocked users from changing the firmware, and we responded by calling for
a <a href="http://boycottsony.org";>boycott of Sony</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>In a court settlement Sony is <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/06/if-you-used-to-run-linux-on-your-ps3-you-could-get-55-from-sony/";>
now paying for the sabotage</a>.</p>
Id: -201003010
PubDate: 2010-03-01
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance webpages javascript
+Keyword: flash
Blurb: <p>Flash Player's <a
href="http://www.imasuper.com/66/technology/flash-cookies-the-silent-privacy-killer/";>
cookie feature helps web sites track visitors</a>.</p>
Id: -201002180
PubDate: 2010-02-18
-Section:
+Section: drm
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>DRM does more nastiness to published works than merely stopping
people from looking at and/or copying them. Even when it allows you to look, it
harasses you in many ways. Cory Doctorow's article presents <a
href="https://boingboing.net/2010/02/18/infographic-buying-d.html";> DVDs as an
example</a>.</p>
+
@@ -2548,45 +2468,45 @@
Id: -200809060
PubDate: 2008-09-06
-Section: google surveillance
+Section: surveillance chrome google
Keyword: chrome keylogger
Blurb: <p>Google Chrome contains a key logger that <a
href="http://www.favbrowser.com/google-chrome-spyware-confirmed/";> sends Google
every URL typed in</a>, one key at a time.</p>
Id: -200808110
PubDate: 2008-08-11
-Section: back-doors install-delete apple
+Section: back-doors install-delete apple backdoor
Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <p>The iPhone has a back door <a
href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3358134/Apples-Jobs-confirms-iPhone-kill-switch.html";>
that allows Apple to remotely delete apps</a> which Apple considers
“inappropriate”. Jobs said it's OK for Apple to have this power
because of course we can trust Apple.</p>
Id: -200803040
PubDate: 2008-03-04
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: drm
+Keyword: hdcp
Blurb: <p><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-bandwidth_Digital_Content_Protection";>
HDCP</a> is a DRM system that encrypts video and audio data from the processor
to the monitor. It is implemented mainly in hardware, but the system software
also participates, which makes it qualify as malware.</p>
+
+ <p>Besides controlling users, HDCP denies their fair-use rights and causes
numerous practical problems.</p>
Id: -200802190
PubDate: 2008-02-19
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: drm
+Keyword: flash-player
Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/02/adobe-pushes-drm-flash";> DRM in
Flash Player</a>.</p>
Id: -200709270
PubDate: 2007-09-27
Section: apple sabotage
Keyword: ithings firmware
-Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2541250/apple-mac/update--apple-plays-hardball--upgrade--bricks--unlocked-iphones.html";>
An Apple firmware “upgrade” bricked iPhones that had been
unlocked</a>. The “upgrade” also deactivated applications not
approved by <a href="/proprietary/proprietary-jails.html">Apple censorship</a>.
All this was apparently intentional.</p>
+Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2541250/apple-mac/update--apple-plays-hardball--upgrade--bricks--unlocked-iphones.html";>An
Apple firmware “upgrade” bricked iPhones that had been
unlocked</a>. The “upgrade” also deactivated applications not
approved by <a href="/proprietary/proprietary-jails.html">Apple censorship</a>.
All this was apparently intentional.</p>
Id: -200708131
PubDate: 2007-08-13
-Section: drm microsoft
+Section: drm microsoft DRM
Keyword: windows apple
-Blurb: <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2007/08/aacs-tentacles/";> DRM
in Windows</a>, introduced to cater to <a href="#bluray">Bluray</a> disks.
(The article talks about how the same malware would later be introduced in
MacOS. That had not been done at the time, but it was done subsequently.)</p>
+Blurb: <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2007/08/aacs-tentacles/";>DRM
in Windows</a>, introduced to cater to <a href="#bluray">Bluray</a> disks.
(The article talks about how the same malware would later be introduced in
MacOS. That had not been done at the time, but it was done subsequently.)</p>
Id: -200708130
PubDate: 2007-08-13
-Section: appleDRM
+Section: apple DRM
Keyword: drm microsoft
Blurb: <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2007/08/aacs-tentacles/";> DRM
that caters to Bluray disks</a>. (The article focused on Windows and said that
MacOS would do the same thing subsequently.)</p>
@@ -2599,17 +2519,23 @@
Id: -200700001
PubDate: 2007
Section: back-doors universal
-Keyword: device
+Keyword: amazon swindle-backdoor
Blurb: <p>In addition to its <a href="#swindle-eraser">book eraser</a>, the
Kindle-Swindle has a <a
href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200774090";>
universal back door</a>.</p>
Id: -200700000
PubDate: 2007
Section: amazon swindle-backdoor
-Keyword: universal
+Keyword: back-doors universal
Blurb: <p>The Kindle also has a <a
href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200774090";>
universal back door</a>.</p>
+Id: -200612050
+PubDate: 2006-12-05
+Section: back-doors universal
+Keyword: mobiles-intro
+Blurb: <p>Almost every phone's communication processor has a universal back
door which is <a
href="https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/12/remotely_eavesd_1.html";>
often used to make a phone transmit all conversations it hears</a>. See <a
href="/proprietary/malware-mobiles.html#universal-back-door">Malware in Mobile
Devices</a> for more info.</p>
+
Id: -200510200
PubDate: 2005-10-20
Section: games surveillance
-Keyword: Blizzard Warden
+Keyword: blizzard
Blurb: <p>Blizzard Warden is a hidden “cheating-prevention”
program that <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2005/10/new-gaming-feature-spyware";> spies
on every process running on a gamer's computer and sniffs a good deal of
personal data</a>, including lots of activities which have nothing to do with
cheating.</p>
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/15
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/16
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/16
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/17
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/19
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs...,
Therese Godefroy <=
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/24
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/26
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/26
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/26
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/27
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/30