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www/proprietary proprietary-interference.html p...
|
From: |
Therese Godefroy |
|
Subject: |
www/proprietary proprietary-interference.html p... |
|
Date: |
Fri, 5 Oct 2018 07:26:55 -0400 (EDT) |
CVSROOT: /webcvs/www
Module name: www
Changes by: Therese Godefroy <th_g> 18/10/05 07:26:55
Modified files:
proprietary : proprietary-interference.html
proprietary-sabotage.html
proprietary-back-doors.html
malware-microsoft.html
Log message:
Rewrite the Windows-10-forcing story; add missing items,
and items in RT #1324120, 1322798 & 1320871); regenerate from recfile.
CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/proprietary-interference.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.33&r2=1.34
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/proprietary-sabotage.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.58&r2=1.59
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.67&r2=1.68
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.76&r2=1.77
Patches:
Index: proprietary-interference.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/proprietary/proprietary-interference.html,v
retrieving revision 1.33
retrieving revision 1.34
diff -u -b -r1.33 -r1.34
--- proprietary-interference.html 27 Jul 2018 02:38:54 -0000 1.33
+++ proprietary-interference.html 5 Oct 2018 11:26:54 -0000 1.34
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
<!-- Parent-Version: 1.84 -->
+<!--
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ Generated from propr-blurbs.rec. Please do not edit this file manually !
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+-->
<title>Proprietary Interference - GNU Project - Free Software
Foundation</title>
<!--#include virtual="/proprietary/po/proprietary-interference.translist" -->
<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
@@ -24,106 +29,118 @@
to inform us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or two
to present the specifics.</p>
-<ul>
-<li><p>Pearson's proprietary educational software <a
-href="https://gizmodo.com/pearson-embedded-a-social-psychological-experiment-in-s-1825367784";>
-did an experiment on real students</a>, treating students differently to
-observe the results.</p></li>
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT interference -->
+ <li id="M201809120">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201804180">
+ <p>Pearson's proprietary educational software <a
+
href="https://gizmodo.com/pearson-embedded-a-social-psychological-experiment-in-s-1825367784";>
+ did an experiment on real students</a>, treating students differently
+ to observe the results.</p>
+ </li>
- <li><p>Microsoft is planning to make Windows <a
+ <li id="M201803190">
+ <p>Microsoft is planning to make Windows <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/19/windows-10-microsoft-force-people-edge-browser-windows-mail-chrome-firefox";>
impose use of its browser, Edge, in certain circumstances</a>.</p>
- <p>The reason Microsoft can force things on users is that Windows is
- nonfree.</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Windows displays
- <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/17/14956540/microsoft-windows-10-ads-taskbar-file-explorer";>
- intrusive ads for Microsoft products and its
- partners' products</a>.</p>
- <p>The article's author starts from the premise that Microsoft
- has a right to control what Windows does to users, as long as it
- doesn't go “too far”. We disagree.</p></li>
-
- <li><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></li>
-
-<li><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>
-</li>
-
-<li>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>.
-</li>
-
-<li>
-<p>Microsoft has
-started <a
-href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/04/microsoft-windows-10-full-screen-upgrade-notification-pop-up-reminder";>
-nagging users obnoxiously and repeatedly to install Windows 10</a>.</p>
-</li>
-
-<li><p>Microsoft
- <a
href="http://news.softpedia.com/news/windows-10-upgrade-reportedly-starting-automatically-on-windows-7-pcs-501651.shtml";>is
- tricking users</a> <a
-href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160522062607/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/17/microsoft_windows_10_upgrade_gwx_vs_humanity/";>
-into replacing Windows 7 with Windows 10</a>.</p></li>
-
-<li><p>Microsoft has made companies' Windows machines managed by the
-company's
-sysadmins <a
href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/3042397/microsoft-windows/admins-beware-domain-attached-pcs-are-sprouting-get-windows-10-ads.html";>harangue
-users to complain to the sysadmins about not “upgrading” to Windows
-10</a>.</p></li>
-
-<li><p>Apple forced millions of iThings to <a
href="https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7256669?tstart=0";>download a system
upgrade
-without asking the users.</a> Apple did not forcibly install the upgrade
-but the downloading alone caused lots of trouble.</p></li>
-
-<li><p>Adobe nonfree software may halt all other work and freeze a computer <a
-href="http://shallowsky.com/blog/gimp/non-free-software-surprises.html";>
-to perform a license check</a>, at a random time every 30 days.</p></li>
-
-<li><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>
-<p>Of course, Windows 7 and 8 are unethical too, because they are
-proprietary software. But this example of Microsoft's wielding its
-power demonstrates the power it holds.
-</p>
-<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></li>
-
-<li><p>Oracle made a deal with Yahoo; Oracle's nonfree Java plug-in will
-<a
href="http://searchengineland.com/yahoo-signs-deal-with-oracle-to-attract-new-users-via-java-installs-224097";>
-change the user's initial web page, and default search engine, to Yahoo</a>
-unless the user intervenes to stop it.</p></li>
-
-<li><p>
-Microsoft is <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/11/microsoft-downloading-windows-1";>
-repeatedly nagging many users to install Windows 10</a>.
-</p></li>
-
-<li><p>
-Microsoft was for months <a
-href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/02/microsoft-downloading-windows-10-automatic-update";>
-tricking users into “upgrading” to Windows 10</a>, if they
-fail to notice and say no.
-</p></li>
+ <p>The reason Microsoft can force things on users is that Windows
+ is nonfree.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201712060">
+ <p>Learn how <a
+
href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/joseph-farrell/the-fascinating-psycholog_b_6076502.html";>
+ gratis-to-play-and-not-win-much games manipulate their useds
+ psychologically</a>.</p>
+
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201703170">
+ <p>Windows displays <a
+
href="http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/17/14956540/microsoft-windows-10-ads-taskbar-file-explorer";>
+ intrusive ads for Microsoft products and its partners'
+ products</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The article's author starts from the premise that Microsoft has
+ a right to control what Windows does to users, as long as it doesn't
+ go “too far”. We disagree.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201701110">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201608170">
+ <p> After <a
href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html#windows10-forcing">forcing the
download of Windows 10</a>
+ on computers that were running Windows 7 and 8, Microsoft <a
+
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/3012278/microsoft-windows/microsoft-sets-stage-for-massive-windows-10-upgrade-strategy.html";>
+ repeatedly switched on a flag that urged users to
+ “upgrade” to Windows 10</a> when they had turned
+ it off, in the hope that some day they would fail to say no.
+ To do this, Microsoft used <a
+
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/17/microsoft_windows_10_upgrade_gwx_vs_humanity/";>
+ malware techniques</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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201603090">
+ <p>Microsoft has made companies'
+ Windows machines managed by the company's sysadmins <a
+
href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/3042397/microsoft-windows/admins-beware-domain-attached-pcs-are-sprouting-get-windows-10-ads.html";>harangue
+ users to complain to the sysadmins about not “upgrading”
+ to Windows 10</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201601160">
+ <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>
+
+ <p>Of course, Windows 7 and 8 are unethical too, because they are
+ proprietary software. But this example of Microsoft's wielding its
+ power demonstrates the power it holds.</p>
+
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201510220">
+ <p>Adobe nonfree software may halt
+ all other work and freeze a computer <a
+ href="http://shallowsky.com/blog/gimp/non-free-software-surprises.html";>
+ to perform a license check</a>, at a random time every 30 days.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201506260">
+ <p>Oracle made a deal with Yahoo; Oracle's nonfree Java plug-in will <a
+
href="http://searchengineland.com/yahoo-signs-deal-with-oracle-to-attract-new-users-via-java-installs-224097";>
+ change the user's initial web page, and default search engine, to
+ Yahoo</a> unless the user intervenes to stop it.</p>
+ </li>
</ul>
+
</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
<div id="footer">
@@ -181,7 +198,7 @@
<p class="unprintable">Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2018/07/27 02:38:54 $
+$Date: 2018/10/05 11:26:54 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
Index: proprietary-sabotage.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/proprietary/proprietary-sabotage.html,v
retrieving revision 1.58
retrieving revision 1.59
diff -u -b -r1.58 -r1.59
--- proprietary-sabotage.html 19 Sep 2018 13:08:16 -0000 1.58
+++ proprietary-sabotage.html 5 Oct 2018 11:26:54 -0000 1.59
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
-<!-- Parent-Version: 1.85 -->
+<!-- Parent-Version: 1.84 -->
+<!--
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ Generated from propr-blurbs.rec. Please do not edit this file manually !
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+-->
<title>Proprietary Sabotage - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
<!--#include virtual="/proprietary/po/proprietary-sabotage.translist" -->
<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
@@ -23,330 +28,428 @@
<p>Here are examples of proprietary software that has something
worse than a back door.</p>
-<ul>
- <li>
- <p>Apple has <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/31/17412396/telegram-apple-app-store-app-updates-russia";>blocked
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT sabotage -->
+ <li id="M201807050">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201805310">
+ <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>
+ <p>This evidently has to do with Russia's command to Apple to block
+ Telegram in Russia.</p>
- <p>The Telegram client is free software on other platforms, but
- not on iThings. Since <a
href="/proprietary/proprietary-jails.html#apple">they
- are jails</a>, they don't permit any app to be free
- software.</p>
+ <p>The Telegram client is free software on other platforms, but not on
+ iThings. Since <a href="/proprietary/proprietary-jails.html#apple">they
+ are jails</a>, they don't permit any app to be free software.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>MacOS High Sierra forcibly reformats SSD boot drives, and <a
-
href="https://www.macworld.com/article/3230498/storage/apple-file-system-apfs-faq.html";>
- changes the file system from HFS+ to APFS</a>, which cannot be accessed
- from GNU/Linux, Windows or even older versions of MacOS.</p>
- </li>
-
- <li>
- <p>Logitech will sabotage all Harmony Link household control devices by
-<a
href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/11/logitech-to-shut-down-service-and-support-for-harmony-link-devices-in-2018/";>
+ <li id="M201711080">
+ <p>Logitech will sabotage
+ all Harmony Link household control devices by <a
+
href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/11/logitech-to-shut-down-service-and-support-for-harmony-link-devices-in-2018/";>
turning off the server through which the products' supposed owners
communicate with them</a>.</p>
+
<p>The owners suspect this is to pressure them to buy a newer model. If
they are wise, they will learn, rather, to distrust any product that
requires users to talk with them through some specialized service.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <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>
+ <li id="M201710044">
+ <p>MacOS High Sierra forcibly reformats SSD boot drives, and <a
+
href="https://www.macworld.com/article/3230498/storage/apple-file-system-apfs-faq.html";>
+ changes the file system from HFS+ to APFS</a>, which cannot be
+ accessed from GNU/Linux, Windows or even older versions of MacOS.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201710041">
+ <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>
+
+ <p>The purchasers should learn the larger lesson and reject connected
+ appliances with embedded proprietary software. Every such product is
+ a temptation to commit sabotage.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <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>
+ <li id="M201709090">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li>
- <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>
+
+ <li id="M201708230">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li>
- <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>
+
+ <li id="M201706060">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li><p> Microsoft
- <a
href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/04/new-processors-are-now-blocked-from-receiving-updates-on-old-windows/";>
+ <li id="M201705180">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201704194">
+ <p>Microsoft has made Windows 7
+ and 8 cease to function on certain new computers, <a
+
href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4012982/the-processor-is-not-supported-together-with-the-windows-version-that";>effectively
+ forcing their owners to switch to Windows 10</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201704130">
+ <p>Microsoft <a
+
href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/04/new-processors-are-now-blocked-from-receiving-updates-on-old-windows/";>
has dropped support for Windows 7 and 8 on recent processors</a>
in a big hurry.</p>
+
<p>It makes no difference what legitimate reasons Microsoft might
- have for not doing work to support them. If it doesn't want to
- do this work, it should let users do the work.</p>
+ have for not doing work to support them. If it doesn't want to do
+ this work, it should let users do the work.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <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>
+ <li id="M201704120">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>The iPhone 7 contains DRM specifically designed to <a
+ <li id="M201704070">
+ <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="/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>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Microsoft has made Windows 7 and 8 cease to
- function on certain new computers,
- <a
href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4012982/the-processor-is-not-supported-together-with-the-windows-version-that";>effectively
- forcing their owners to switch to Windows 10</a>.</p>
- </li>
-
- <li>
- <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
+ <li id="M201612200">
+ <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>
+ 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>
</li>
- <li>
- <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>
+ <li id="M201609200">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201606270">
+ <p id="windows10-forcing">In its efforts to trick users of Windows
+ 7 and 8 into installing all-spying Windows 10 against their
+ will, Microsoft forced their computers to <a
+
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/11/microsoft-downloading-windows-1";>
+ silently download… the whole of Windows 10</a>! Apparently,
+ this was done through a <a
+ href="/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html#windows-update">
+ universal back door</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 âupgradeâ was in fact a <a
+
href="http://gizmodo.com/woman-wins-10-000-from-microsoft-after-unwanted-window-1782666146";>
+ downgrade</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201606080">
+ <p>Apple <a
+
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/14/uninstall_quicktime_for_windows/";>
+ stops users from fixing the security bugs in Quicktime for Windows</a>,
+ while refusing to fix them itself.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201606010">
+ <p>Once Microsoft has tricked a user
+ into accepting installation of Windows 10, <a
+
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/01/windows_10_nagware_no_way_out/";>they
+ find that they are denied the option to cancel or even postpone the
+ imposed date of installation</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This demonstrates what we've said for years: using proprietary
+ software means letting someone have power over you, and you're going
+ to get screwed sooner or later.</p>
+ </li>
- <p>Once Microsoft has tricked a user into accepting installation
- of Windows
- 10, <a
href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/01/windows_10_nagware_no_way_out/";>they
- find that they are denied the option to cancel or even postpone
- the imposed date of installation</a>.</p>
+ <li id="M201605150">
+ <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>This demonstrates what we've said for years: using
- proprietary software means letting someone have power over you,
- and you're going to get screwed sooner or later.</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>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>The Apple Music client
- program <a
href="https://blog.vellumatlanta.com/2016/05/04/apple-stole-my-music-no-seriously/";>scans
- the user's file system for music files, copies them to an Apple
- server, and deletes them</a>.</p>
+ <li id="M201605040">
+ <p>The Apple Music client program <a
+
href="https://blog.vellumatlanta.com/2016/05/04/apple-stole-my-music-no-seriously/";>scans
+ the user's file system for music files, copies them to an Apple server,
+ and deletes them</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Apple <a
-href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160608183145/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/14/uninstall_quicktime_for_windows/";>
-stops users from fixing the security bugs in Quicktime for
- Windows</a>, while refusing to fix them itself.</p>
+ <li id="M201604050">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>iOS version 9 for
- iThings <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/feb/05/error-53-apple-iphone-software-update-handset-worthless-third-party-repair";>sabotages
+ <li id="M201602050">
+ <p>iOS version 9 for iThings <a
+
href="https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/feb/05/error-53-apple-iphone-software-update-handset-worthless-third-party-repair";>sabotages
them irreparably if they were repaired by someone other than
Apple</a>. Apple eventually backed off from this policy under
- criticism from the users. However, it has not acknowledged that
- this was wrong.</p>
+ criticism from the users. However, it has not acknowledged that this
+ was wrong.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Phillips “smart” lightbulbs had initially been
+ <li id="M201601310">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201512140">
+ <p>Philips “smart” lightbulbs had initially been
designed to interact with other companies' smart light bulbs, but <a
href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20151214/07452133070/lightbulb-drm-philips-locks-purchasers-out-third-party-bulbs-with-firmware-update.shtml";>
- later the company updated the firmware to disallow interoperability</a>.</p>
+ later the company updated the firmware to disallow
+ interoperability</a>.</p>
- <p>If a product is “smart”, and you didn't build it, it is
- cleverly serving its manufacturer <em>against you</em>.</p>
+ <p>If a product is “smart”, and you didn't build it,
+ it is cleverly serving its manufacturer <em>against you</em>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Microsoft
- is <a
href="http://gizmodo.com/woman-wins-10-000-from-microsoft-after-unwanted-window-1782666146";>
- forcibly
- pushing</a> <a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/3012278/microsoft-windows/microsoft-sets-stage-for-massive-windows-10-upgrade-strategy.html";>Windows
- update to its version 10</a>, ignoring the flag on Windows 7 or 8
- that you could set to not upgrade. This reaffirms the presence of
- a <a href="/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html">universal
- back door in Windows</a> 7 and 8.</p>
+ <li id="M201511244">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li><p>Windows 10 “upgrades” <a
+ <li id="M201511240">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li><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></li>
-<li><p>
-Users report <a
href="http://www.networkworld.com/article/2993490/windows/windows-10-upgrades-reportedly-appearing-as-mandatory-for-some-users.html#tk.rss_all";>
-Microsoft is forcing them to replace Windows 7 and 8 with
-all-spying Windows 10</a>.</p>
-
-<p>
-This seems to involve use of a back door in Windows 7 and 8.
-</p></li>
-
-<li><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></li>
-
-<li><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></li>
-
-<li><p>Amazon
-<a
href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150321/13350230396/while-bricking-jailbroken-fire-tvs-last-year-amazon-did-same-to-kindle-devices.shtml";>
-downgraded the software in users' Swindles</a>
-so that those already rooted would cease to function at all.</p></li>
-
-<li><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></li>
-
-<li><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></li>
-
-<li><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 is unjust because injustice is
-the only motive for imposing an EULA.
-</p></li>
-
-<li><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></li>
-
-<li><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></li>
-
-<li><p>
-<a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-gchq-encryption-codes-security";>The
-NSA has put back doors into nonfree encryption software.</a>
-We don't know which ones they are, but we can be sure they include
-some widely used systems. This reinforces the point that you can never
-trust the security of nonfree software.
-</p></li>
-
-<li><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></li>
-
-<li><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></li>
-
-<li><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></li>
-
-<li><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>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></li>
+ <li id="M201510020">
+ <p>Apple forced millions of iThings to <a
+ href="https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7256669?tstart=0";>download
+ a system upgrade without asking the users</a>. Apple did not
+ forcibly install the upgrade but the downloading alone caused lots
+ of trouble.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201509220">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201504300">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201504090">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201503260">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201503210">
+ <p>Amazon <a
+
href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150321/13350230396/while-bricking-jailbroken-fire-tvs-last-year-amazon-did-same-to-kindle-devices.shtml";>
+ downgraded the software in users' Swindles</a> so that those already
+ rooted would cease to function at all.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201412040">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201410130">
+ <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>
-<li><p>
-LG <a
href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140511/17430627199/lg-will-take-smart-out-your-smart-tv-if-you-dont-agree-to-share-your-viewing-search-data-with-third-parties.shtml";>disabled
-network features</a> on <em>previously purchased</em>
-“smart” TVs, unless the purchasers agreed to let LG
-begin to snoop on them and distribute their personal data.
-</p></li>
-
-<li><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>We don't agree with the article's views on those issues, but we present it
-as a factual reference.</p>
-
-<p>In 2014, <a
-href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2494794/malware-vulnerabilities/oracle-will-continue-to-bundle--crapware--with-java.html";>Oracle
insisted on continuing
-this practice.</a></p>
-</li>
+ <p>We can be quite sure this EULA is unjust because injustice is the
+ only motive for imposing an EULA.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201405201">
+ <p>LG <a
+
href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140511/17430627199/lg-will-take-smart-out-your-smart-tv-if-you-dont-agree-to-share-your-viewing-search-data-with-third-parties.shtml";>
+ disabled network features</a> on <em>previously purchased</em>
+ “smart” TVs, unless the purchasers agreed to let LG begin
+ to snoop on them and distribute their personal data.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201401190">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201309054">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-gchq-encryption-codes-security";>The
+ NSA has put back doors into nonfree encryption software</a>. We don't
+ know which ones they are, but we can be sure they include some widely
+ used systems. This reinforces the point that you can never trust
+ the security of nonfree software.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201306220">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201305060">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201301280">
+ <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>We don't agree with the article's views on those issues, but we
+ present it as a factual reference.</p>
+
+ <p>In 2014, <a
+
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2494794/malware-vulnerabilities/oracle-will-continue-to-bundle--crapware--with-java.html";>
+ Oracle insisted on continuing this practice</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201003300">
+ <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>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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M200709270">
+ <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>
+ </li>
</ul>
+
</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
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<div id="footer">
@@ -404,7 +507,7 @@
<p class="unprintable">Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2018/09/19 13:08:16 $
+$Date: 2018/10/05 11:26:54 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
Index: proprietary-back-doors.html
===================================================================
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retrieving revision 1.67
retrieving revision 1.68
diff -u -b -r1.67 -r1.68
--- proprietary-back-doors.html 25 Jul 2018 01:48:56 -0000 1.67
+++ proprietary-back-doors.html 5 Oct 2018 11:26:55 -0000 1.68
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
<!-- Parent-Version: 1.85 -->
+<!--
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ Generated from propr-blurbs.rec. Please do not edit this file manually !
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+-->
<title>Proprietary Back Doors - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
<!--#include virtual="/proprietary/po/proprietary-back-doors.translist" -->
<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
@@ -33,41 +38,47 @@
<a href="#other">Other/undefined</a>
</p>
-<!-- WEBMASTERS: make sure to place new items on top under each subsection -->
-<h3 id="spy">Spying</h3>
+<h3 id='spy'>Spying</h3>
-<ul>
- <li>
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT spy -->
+ <li id="M201706202">
<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
+ 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>
- <p>Since these accounts with hard-coded passwords are impossible to
- delete, this problem is not merely an insecurity; it amounts to a
- back door that can be used by the manufacturer (and government) to
- spy on users.</p>
+
+ <p>Since these accounts with hard-coded passwords are impossible
+ to delete, this problem is not merely an insecurity; it amounts to
+ a back door that can be used by the manufacturer (and
+ government) to spy on users.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <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>
+ <li id="M201701130">
+ <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>
+
+ <p>The developers say that it wasn't intended as a back door, and that
+ may well be true. But that leaves the crucial question of whether it
+ functions as one. Because the program is nonfree, we cannot check by
+ studying it.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <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>
+ <li id="M201512280">
+ <p>Microsoft has <a
+
href="https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/";>
+ backdoored its disk encryption</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201409220">
<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
@@ -76,95 +87,107 @@
</li>
</ul>
-<h3 id="alter-data">Altering user's data or settings</h3>
-<ul>
- <li>
- <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>
+<h3 id='alter-data'>Altering user's data or settings</h3>
+
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT alter-data -->
+ <li id="M201809140">
+ <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>The article suggests it might be a universal back door, but this
+ isn't clear.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201607284">
<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>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>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>
+ <li id="M201604250">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201512074">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://www.itworld.com/article/2705284/data-protection/backdoor-found-in-d-link-router-firmware-code.html";>
+ Some D-Link routers</a> have a back door for changing settings in a
+ dlink of an eye.</p>
+
+ <p><a href="http://sekurak.pl/tp-link-httptftp-backdoor/";> The TP-Link
+ router has a back door</a>.</p>
+
+ <p><a href="https://github.com/elvanderb/TCP-32764";>Many models of
+ routers have back doors</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201511244">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201511194">
<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>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Modern gratis game cr…apps
- <a
href="http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/";>
+ <li id="M201509160">
+ <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>
- <p>They use this data to manipulate people to buy things, and hunt
- for “whales” who can be led to spend a lot of money. They
- also use a back door to manipulate the game play for specific
players.</p>
+
+ <p>They use this data to manipulate people to buy things, and hunt for
+ “whales” who can be led to spend a lot of money. They also
+ use a back door to manipulate the game play for specific players.</p>
+
<p>While the article describes gratis games, games that cost money
can use the same tactics.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p><a id="samsung"
+ <li id="M201403121">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li>
- <p><a
href="http://www.itworld.com/article/2705284/data-protection/backdoor-found-in-d-link-router-firmware-code.html";>
- Some D-Link routers</a> have a back door for changing settings in a
- dlink of an eye.</p>
- <p><a href="http://sekurak.pl/tp-link-httptftp-backdoor/";>
- The TP-Link router has a back door</a>.</p>
- <p><a href="https://github.com/elvanderb/TCP-32764";>Many models of routers
- have back doors</a>.</p>
- </li>
-
- <li id="swindle-eraser">
- <p>The Amazon Kindle-Swindle has a back door that has been used to <a
+ <li id="M201210220">
+ <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>
- <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
+ 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>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>
+
+ <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>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201011220">
<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
@@ -172,78 +195,82 @@
</li>
</ul>
-<h3 id="install-delete">Installing or deleting programs</h3>
-<ul>
- <li><p>Some “Smart” TVs
- automatically <a
href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16727319";>load
- downgrades that install a surveillance app</a>.</p>
-
- <p>We link to the article for the facts it presents. It is too bad
- that the article finishes by advocating the moral weakness of
- surrendering to Netflix. The Netflix
- app <a
href="/proprietary/malware-google.html#netflix-app-geolocation-drm">is
+<h3 id='install-delete'>Installing or deleting programs</h3>
+
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT install-delete -->
+ <li id="M201804010">
+ <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>
+
+ <p>We link to the article for the facts it presents. It
+ is too bad that the article finishes by advocating the
+ moral weakness of surrendering to Netflix. The Netflix app <a
+ href="/proprietary/malware-google.html#netflix-app-geolocation-drm">is
malware too</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201511090">
<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>
+ can “upload files” as well as forcibly install
+ apps</a>.</p>
+
<p>It is used by 14,000 Android applications.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201112080">
+ <p> In addition to its <a href="#windows-update">universal back
+ door</a>, Windows 8 has a back door for <a
+
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2500036/desktop-apps/microsoft--we-can-remotely-delete-windows-8-apps.html";>
+ 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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201103070">
<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
+ 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>
+
<p>Google can also <a
href="https://jon.oberheide.org/blog/2010/06/25/remote-kill-and-install-on-google-android/";>
- forcibly and remotely install apps</a> through GTalkService.
- This is not equivalent to a universal back door, but permits various
- dirty tricks.</p>
+ forcibly and remotely install apps</a> through GTalkService. This is
+ not equivalent to a universal back door, but permits various dirty
+ tricks.</p>
+
<p>Although Google's <em>exercise</em> of this power has not been
malicious so far, the point is that nobody should have such power,
- which could also be used maliciously. You might well decide to let a
- security service remotely <em>deactivate</em> programs that it
- considers malicious. But there is no excuse for allowing it
- to <em>delete</em> the programs, and you should have the right to
- decide who (if anyone) to trust in this way.</p>
- </li>
-
- <li>
- <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>
+ which could also be used maliciously. You might well decide to
+ let a security service remotely <em>deactivate</em> programs that
+ it considers malicious. But there is no excuse for allowing it to
+ <em>delete</em> the programs, and you should have the right to decide
+ who (if anyone) to trust in this way.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M200808110">
<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>
+ “inappropriate”. Jobs said it's OK for Apple to have
+ this power because of course we can trust Apple.</p>
</li>
</ul>
-<h3 id="universal">Full control</h3>
-
-<ul>
- <li>
- <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>
- </li>
+<h3 id='universal'>Full control</h3>
- <li>
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT universal -->
+ <li id="M201711244">
<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
@@ -251,144 +278,163 @@
into one.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201711010">
<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>
+ with a universal back door, and tethered to a server that requires
+ a subscription</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Tesla cars have a <a
+ <li id="M201709091">
+ <p>Tesla used software to limit the part of the battery
+ that was available to customers in some cars, 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/";>
- universal back door</a>.</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>
+ 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>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201702061">
<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>
</li>
- <li>
- <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>
- </li>
-
- <li>
+ <li id="M201609130">
<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>
+ a universal back door in the application processor, for Xiaomi's
+ use</a>.</p>
+
<p>This is separate from <a href="#universal-back-door-phone-modem">the
- universal back door in the modem processor that the local
- phone company can use</a>.</p>
+ universal back door in the modem processor that the local phone
+ company can use</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <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";>
+ <li id="M201608172">
+ <p id="windows-update">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
+
+ <p>This was <a
href="http://slated.org/windows_by_stealth_the_updates_you_dont_want";>
- this was used</a>.</p>
- <p>In Windows 10, the universal back door is no longer hidden; all
- “upgrades” will be <a
+ reported in 2007</a> for XP and Vista, and it seems
+ that Microsoft used the same method to push the <a
+ href="/proprietary/proprietary-sabotage.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>
</li>
- <li>
- <p><a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/18/chinese-android-phones-coolpad-hacker-backdoor";>
+ <li id="M201606060">
+ <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 this seems pretty clear.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201412180">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li>
- <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>
+ <li id="M201311300">
+ <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</a> that can download programs and run them.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <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>
- </li>
-
- <li>
- <p>In addition to its <a href="#swindle-eraser">book eraser</a>, the
- Kindle-Swindle has a <a
+ <li id="M201202280">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M200700001">
+ <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>
</li>
+
+ <li id="M200612050">
+ <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>
+ </li>
</ul>
-<h3 id="other">Other or undefined</h3>
-<ul>
- <li>
+<h3 id='other'>Other or undefined</h3>
+
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT other -->
+ <li id="M201711204">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201609240">
<p>A Capcom's Street Fighter V update <a
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/23/capcom_street_fighter_v/";>
- installed a driver that could be used as a back door by any
- application installed on a Windows computer</a>, but was <a
+ installed a driver that could be used as a back door by
+ any application installed on a Windows computer</a>, but was <a
href="https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/09/24/street-fighter-v-removes-new-anti-crack";>
immediately rolled back</a> in response to public outcry.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201511260">
+ <p>Dell computers, shipped with
+ Windows, had a bogus root certificate that <a
+
href="http://fossforce.com/2015/11/dell-comcast-intel-who-knows-who-else-are-out-to-get-you/";>
+ allowed anyone (not just Dell) to remotely authorize any software to
+ run</a> on the computer.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201511198">
<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>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Dell computers, shipped with Windows, had a bogus root certificate
- that <a
-
href="http://fossforce.com/2015/11/dell-comcast-intel-who-knows-who-else-are-out-to-get-you/";>
- allowed anyone (not just Dell) to remotely authorize any software to
- run</a> on the computer.</p>
+ <li id="M201510200">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201504090">
<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>.</p>
+ intentional local back door for 4 years</a>, which could be exploited
+ by attackers to gain root privileges.</p>
</li>
- <li>
+ <li id="M201309110">
<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
@@ -396,38 +442,39 @@
but every proprietary program for encryption is a possibility.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>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>
+ <li id="M201308230">
+ <p>The German government <a
+
href="http://drleonardcoldwell.com/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>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Here is a suspicion that we can't prove, but is worth thinking
- about: <a
-
href="http://web.archive.org/web/20150206003913/http://www.afr.com/p/technology/intel_chips_could_be_nsa_key_to_ymrhS1HS1633gCWKt5tFtI";>
+ <li id="M201307300">
+ <p>Here is a suspicion that
+ we can't prove, but is worth thinking about: <a
+
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150206003913/http://www.afr.com/p/technology/intel_chips_could_be_nsa_key_to_ymrhS1HS1633gCWKt5tFtI";>
Writable microcode for Intel and AMD microprocessors</a> may be a
vehicle for the NSA to invade computers, with the help of Microsoft,
say respected security experts.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>HP “storage appliances” that use the proprietary
- “Left Hand” operating system have back doors that give HP <a
+ <li id="M201307114">
+ <p>HP “storage appliances” that
+ use the proprietary “Left Hand”
+ operating system have back doors that give HP <a
href="https://insights.dice.com/2013/07/11/hp-keeps-installing-secret-backdoors-in-enterprise-storage/";>
- remote login access</a> to them. HP claims that this does not give HP
- access to the customer's data, but if the back door allows
+ remote login access</a> to them. HP claims that this does not
+ give HP access to the customer's data, but if the back door allows
installation of software changes, a change could be installed that
would give access to the customer's data.</p>
</li>
</ul>
+
<p>The EFF has other examples of the <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/02/who-really-owns-your-drones";>
use of back doors</a>.</p>
-
</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
<div id="footer">
@@ -468,7 +515,7 @@
<p class="unprintable">Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2018/07/25 01:48:56 $
+$Date: 2018/10/05 11:26:55 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
Index: malware-microsoft.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html,v
retrieving revision 1.76
retrieving revision 1.77
diff -u -b -r1.76 -r1.77
--- malware-microsoft.html 25 Jul 2018 01:44:51 -0000 1.76
+++ malware-microsoft.html 5 Oct 2018 11:26:55 -0000 1.77
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
<!-- Parent-Version: 1.84 -->
+<!--
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ Generated from propr-blurbs.rec. Please do not edit this file manually !
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+-->
<title>Microsoft's Software Is Malware
- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
<!--#include virtual="/proprietary/po/malware-microsoft.translist" -->
@@ -39,71 +44,89 @@
<div class="summary" style="margin-top: 2em">
<h3>Type of malware</h3>
<ul>
-<li><a href="#back-doors">Back doors</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#back-doors">Back doors</a></li>
<!--<li><a href="#censorship">Censorship</a></li>-->
-<li><a href="#insecurity">Insecurity</a></li>
-<li><a href="#sabotage">Sabotage</a></li>
-<li><a href="#interference">Interference</a></li>
-<li><a href="#surveillance">Surveillance</a></li>
-<li><a href="#drm">Digital restrictions
- management</a> or “DRM” means functionalities designed
+ <li><a href="#drm">Digital restrictions
+ management</a> or “DRM”—functionalities designed
to restrict what users can do with the data in their computers.</li>
-<li><a href="#jails">Jails</a>—systems
+ <li><a href="#insecurity">Insecurity</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#interference">Interference</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#jails">Jails</a>—systems
that impose censorship on application programs.</li>
-<li><a href="#tyrants">Tyrants</a>—systems
+ <li><a href="#sabotage">Sabotage</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#subscriptions">Subscriptions</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#surveillance">Surveillance</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#tyrants">Tyrants</a>—systems
that reject any operating system not “authorized” by the
manufacturer.</li>
-<li><a href="#subscriptions">Subscriptions</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 id="back-doors">Microsoft Back Doors</h3>
-<ul>
- <li><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></li>
- <li><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";>
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT backdoor -->
+ <li id="M201608172">
+ <p id="windows-update">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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201512280">
+ <p>Microsoft has <a
+
href="https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/";>
+ backdoored its disk encryption</a>.</p>
+ </li>
- <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></li>
+ <li id="M201308230">
+ <p>The German government <a
+
href="http://drleonardcoldwell.com/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>
+ </li>
- <li><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>
+ <li id="M201112081">
+ <p>Windows 8 also has a back door for <a
+
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2500036/desktop-apps/microsoft--we-can-remotely-delete-windows-8-apps.html";>
+ 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 who (if anyone) to trust in this
way.</p></li>
-
- <li><p>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>
+ should have the right to decide whom (if anyone) to trust in this
+ way.</p>
</li>
+</ul>
-<li id="windows7-back-door"><p>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>
-</li>
+<h3 id="drm">Microsoft DRM</h3>
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT DRM -->
+ <li id="M200708131">
+ <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2007/08/aacs-tentacles/";>DRM
+ in Windows</a>, introduced to cater to <a
+ href="/proprietary/proprietary-drm.html#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>
+ </li>
</ul>
+
<h3 id="insecurity">Microsoft Insecurity</h3>
<p>These bugs are/were not intentional, so unlike the rest of the file
@@ -111,28 +134,137 @@
supposition that prestigious proprietary software doesn't have grave
bugs.</p>
-<ul>
-
-<li>
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT insecurity -->
+ <li id="M201705120">
<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>
-</li>
-
- <li><p>A <a
href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-attack-can-steal-your-username-password-and-other-logins/";>flaw
in Internet Explorer and Edge</a>
- allows an attacker to retrieve Microsoft account credentials, if
- the user is tricked into visiting a malicious link.</p>
- </li>
-<li>
-<p><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/12/credit-card-fraud-comes-of-age-with-first-known-point-of-sale-botnet/";>
-Point-of-sale terminals running Windows were taken over and turned
-into a botnet for the purpose of collecting customers' credit card
-numbers</a>.
-</p>
-</li>
+ 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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201608020">
+ <p>A <a
+
href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-attack-can-steal-your-username-password-and-other-logins/";>flaw
+ in Internet Explorer and Edge</a> allows an attacker to retrieve
+ Microsoft account credentials, if the user is tricked into visiting
+ a malicious link.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201312040">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/12/credit-card-fraud-comes-of-age-with-first-known-point-of-sale-botnet/";>
+ Point-of-sale terminals running Windows were taken over</a> and
+ turned into a botnet for the purpose of collecting customers' credit
+ card numbers.</p>
+ </li>
+</ul>
+
+
+<h3 id="interference">Microsoft Interference</h3>
+
+<p>Various proprietary programs often mess up the user's system. They
+are like sabotage, but they are not grave enough to qualify for the word
+“sabotage”. Nonetheless, they are nasty and wrong. This
+section describes examples of Microsoft committing interference.</p>
+
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT interference -->
+ <li id="M201809120">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201803190">
+ <p>Microsoft is planning to make Windows <a
+
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/19/windows-10-microsoft-force-people-edge-browser-windows-mail-chrome-firefox";>
+ impose use of its browser, Edge, in certain circumstances</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The reason Microsoft can force things on users is that Windows
+ is nonfree.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201703170">
+ <p>Windows displays <a
+
href="http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/17/14956540/microsoft-windows-10-ads-taskbar-file-explorer";>
+ intrusive ads for Microsoft products and its partners'
+ products</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The article's author starts from the premise that Microsoft has
+ a right to control what Windows does to users, as long as it doesn't
+ go “too far”. We disagree.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201608170">
+ <p> After <a
href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html#windows10-forcing">forcing the
download of Windows 10</a>
+ on computers that were running Windows 7 and 8, Microsoft <a
+
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/3012278/microsoft-windows/microsoft-sets-stage-for-massive-windows-10-upgrade-strategy.html";>
+ repeatedly switched on a flag that urged users to
+ “upgrade” to Windows 10</a> when they had turned
+ it off, in the hope that some day they would fail to say no.
+ To do this, Microsoft used <a
+
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/17/microsoft_windows_10_upgrade_gwx_vs_humanity/";>
+ malware techniques</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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201603090">
+ <p>Microsoft has made companies'
+ Windows machines managed by the company's sysadmins <a
+
href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/3042397/microsoft-windows/admins-beware-domain-attached-pcs-are-sprouting-get-windows-10-ads.html";>harangue
+ users to complain to the sysadmins about not “upgrading”
+ to Windows 10</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201601160">
+ <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>
+
+ <p>Of course, Windows 7 and 8 are unethical too, because they are
+ proprietary software. But this example of Microsoft's wielding its
+ power demonstrates the power it holds.</p>
+
+ <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>
+ </li>
+</ul>
+
+
+<h3 id="jails">Microsoft Jails</h3>
+
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT jails -->
+ <li id="M201706130">
+ <p>Windows 10 S was a jail: <a
+
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/03/windows-10-s-microsoft-faster-pc-comparison";>
+ only programs from the Windows Store could be
+ installed and executed</a>. It was however possible to <a
+
href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/13/15789998/microsoft-windows-10-s-upgrade-windows-10-pro-guide";>
+ upgrade to Windows 10 Pro</a>. The successor of Windows
+ 10 S is a special configuration of Windows 10 called <a
+
href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4020089/windows-10-in-s-mode-faq";>
+ S mode</a>. The major difference with Windows 10 S is that there is
+ an easy way to switch out of S mode.</p>
+ </li>
+ <li id="M201210080">
+ <p><a
+
href="http://www.itworld.com/article/2832657/operating-systems/microsoft-metro-app-store-lock-down.html";>
+ Windows 8 on “mobile devices” (now defunct) was a
+ jail</a>.</p>
+ </li>
</ul>
@@ -141,316 +273,278 @@
<p>The wrongs in this section are not precisely malware, since they do
not involve making the program that runs in a way that hurts the user.
But they are a lot like malware, since they are technical Microsoft
-actions that harm to the users of specific Microsoft software.</p>
+actions that harm the users of specific Microsoft software.</p>
-<ul>
- <li><p> Microsoft
- <a
href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/04/new-processors-are-now-blocked-from-receiving-updates-on-old-windows/";>
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT sabotage -->
+ <li id="M201704194">
+ <p>Microsoft has made Windows 7
+ and 8 cease to function on certain new computers, <a
+
href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4012982/the-processor-is-not-supported-together-with-the-windows-version-that";>effectively
+ forcing their owners to switch to Windows 10</a>.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201704130">
+ <p>Microsoft <a
+
href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/04/new-processors-are-now-blocked-from-receiving-updates-on-old-windows/";>
has dropped support for Windows 7 and 8 on recent processors</a>
in a big hurry.</p>
+
<p>It makes no difference what legitimate reasons Microsoft might
- have for not doing work to support them. If it doesn't want to
- do this work, it should let users do the work.</p>
+ have for not doing work to support them. If it doesn't want to do
+ this work, it should let users do the work.</p>
</li>
- <li>
- <p>Microsoft has made Windows 7 and 8 cease to function on certain
- new computers,
- <a
href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4012982/the-processor-is-not-supported-together-with-the-windows-version-that";>effectively
- forcing their owners to switch to Windows 10</a>.</p>
+ <li id="M201606270">
+ <p id="windows10-forcing">In its efforts to trick users of Windows
+ 7 and 8 into installing all-spying Windows 10 against their
+ will, Microsoft forced their computers to <a
+
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/11/microsoft-downloading-windows-1";>
+ silently download… the whole of Windows 10</a>! Apparently,
+ this was done through a <a
+ href="/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html#windows-update">
+ universal back door</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 âupgradeâ was in fact a <a
+
href="http://gizmodo.com/woman-wins-10-000-from-microsoft-after-unwanted-window-1782666146";>
+ downgrade</a>.</p>
</li>
- <li><p>Once Microsoft has tricked a user into accepting installation
- of Windows
- 10, <a
href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/01/windows_10_nagware_no_way_out/";>they
+ <li id="M201606010">
+ <p>Once Microsoft has tricked a user
+ into accepting installation of Windows 10, <a
+
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/01/windows_10_nagware_no_way_out/";>they
find that they are denied the option to cancel or even postpone the
- imposed date of installation</a>.
- </p>
+ imposed date of installation</a>.</p>
+
<p>This demonstrates what we've said for years: using proprietary
- software means letting someone have power over you, and you're
- going to get screwed sooner or later.</p></li>
+ software means letting someone have power over you, and you're going
+ to get screwed sooner or later.</p>
+ </li>
- <li><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>
- <p>Of course, Windows 7 and 8 are unethical too, because they are
- proprietary software. But this example of Microsoft's wielding its
- power demonstrates the power it holds.
- </p>
- <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></li>
-
- <li><p>Microsoft
- is <a
href="http://gizmodo.com/woman-wins-10-000-from-microsoft-after-unwanted-window-1782666146";>
- forcibly pushing Windows
- update to its version 10</a>, ignoring the flag on Windows 7 or 8
- that you could set to not upgrade. This reaffirms the presence of
- a <a href="/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html">universal
- back door in Windows</a> 7 and 8.</p></li>
+ <li id="M201601310">
+ <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>
+ </li>
- <li><p>Windows 10 “upgrades” <a
+ <li id="M201511240">
+ <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></li>
+ delete applications</a> without asking permission.</p>
+ </li>
- <li><p>
- Microsoft is <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/11/microsoft-downloading-windows-1";>
- repeatedly nagging many users to install Windows 10</a>.
- </p></li>
-
-<li><p>
-Microsoft was for months <a
-href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/02/microsoft-downloading-windows-10-automatic-update";>
-tricking users into “upgrading” to Windows 10</a>, if they
-failed to notice and say no.
-</p></li>
-
- <li><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></li>
-
- <li><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></li>
-</ul>
+ <li id="M201503260">
+ <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>
+ </li>
-<h3 id="interference">Microsoft Interference</h3>
+ <li id="M201306220">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+</ul>
-<p>Various proprietary programs often mess up the user's system. They are like
sabotage, but they are not grave enough to qualify
-for the word “sabotage”. Nonetheless, they are nasty and wrong.
This section describes examples of Microsoft committing
-interference.</p>
-<ul>
- <li><p>Microsoft is planning to make Windows <a
-
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/19/windows-10-microsoft-force-people-edge-browser-windows-mail-chrome-firefox";>
- impose use of its browser, Edge, in certain circumstances</a>.</p>
- <p>The reason Microsoft can force things on users is that Windows is
- nonfree.</p></li>
+<h3 id="subscriptions">Microsoft Subscriptions</h3>
- <li><p>Windows displays
- <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/17/14956540/microsoft-windows-10-ads-taskbar-file-explorer";>
- intrusive ads for Microsoft products and its
- partners' products</a>.</p>
- <p>The article's author starts from the premise that Microsoft
- has a right to control what Windows does to users, as long as it
- doesn't go “too far”. We disagree.</p></li>
-
- <li><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></li>
-
-<li>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>.
-</li>
-
-<li><p>Microsoft has
-started <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/04/microsoft-windows-10-full-screen-upgrade-notification-pop-up-reminder";>nagging
-users obnoxiously and repeatedly to install Windows 10</a>.</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Microsoft
- <a
href="http://news.softpedia.com/news/windows-10-upgrade-reportedly-starting-automatically-on-windows-7-pcs-501651.shtml";>is
- tricking
- users</a> <a
-href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160522062607/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/17/microsoft_windows_10_upgrade_gwx_vs_humanity/";>
-into replacing Windows 7 with Windows 10</a>.</p></li>
-
- <li><p>Microsoft has made companies' Windows machines managed by the
-company's
-sysadmins <a
href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/3042397/microsoft-windows/admins-beware-domain-attached-pcs-are-sprouting-get-windows-10-ads.html";>harangue
-users to complain to the sysadmins about not “upgrading” to Windows
-10</a>.</p></li>
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT subscriptions -->
+ <li id="M201507150">
+ <p>Microsoft Office forces users <a
+
href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2948755/windows-apps/office-for-windows-10-will-require-office-365-subscription-on-pcs-larger-tablets.html";>to
+ subscribe to Office 365 to be able to create/edit documents</a>.</p>
+ </li>
</ul>
-<h3 id="surveillance">Microsoft Surveillance</h3>
-
-<ul>
-<li><p>Windows 10 telemetry program sends information to Microsoft about the
-user's computer and their use of the computer.</p>
+<h3 id="surveillance">Microsoft Surveillance</h3>
-<p>Furthermore, for users who installed the fourth stable build of
-Windows 10, called the “Creators Update,” Windows maximized the
-surveillance <a
-href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/10/dutch-privacy-regulator-says-that-windows-10-breaks-the-law";>
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT microsoft-surv -->
+ <li id="M201710134">
+ <p>Windows 10 telemetry program sends information to Microsoft about
+ the user's computer and their use of the computer.</p>
+
+ <p>Furthermore, for users who installed the
+ fourth stable build of Windows 10, called the
+ “Creators Update,” Windows maximized the surveillance <a
+
href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/10/dutch-privacy-regulator-says-that-windows-10-breaks-the-law";>
by force setting the telemetry mode to “Full”</a>.</p>
-<p>The <a
-href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/configure-windows-diagnostic-data-in-your-organization#full-level";>
+ <p>The <a
+
href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/configure-windows-diagnostic-data-in-your-organization#full-level";>
“Full” telemetry mode</a> allows Microsoft Windows
- engineers to access, among other things, registry keys
- <a href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc939702.aspx";>which
+ engineers to access, among other things, registry keys <a
+ href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc939702.aspx";>which
can contain sensitive information like administrator's login
- password</a>.</p></li>
+ password</a>.</p>
+ </li>
-<li><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></li>
-
-<li><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></li>
-
-<li>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>.</li>
-
-<li><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>
-
-<p>To use proprietary software is to invite such treatment.</p></li>
-
- <li><p>
- <a
href="https://duo.com/blog/bring-your-own-dilemma-oem-laptops-and-windows-10-security";>
- Windows 10 comes with 13 screens of snooping options</a>, all enabled by
default,
- and turning them off would be daunting to most users.</p></li>
-
- <li><p>
- Windows 10 <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20151001035410/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 explicit say so.
Will it
- look at users' files for the Chinese government on demand?</p></li>
-
- <li><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></li>
-
- <li><p>The unique “advertising ID” for each user enables other
companies to
- track the browsing of each specific user.</p></li>
-
- <li>Spyware in Windows 8: <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.</li>
-
- <li><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>
- </li>
-
- <li><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>
+ <li id="M201702020">
+ <p>DRM-restricted files can be used to <a
+
href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/02/02/231229/windows-drm-protected-files-used-to-decloak-tor-browser-users";>
+ identify people browsing through Tor</a>. The vulnerability exists
+ only if you use Windows.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201611240">
+ <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>
</li>
- <li><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/";>
+ <li id="M201608171">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201603170">
+ <p><a
+
href="https://duo.com/blog/bring-your-own-dilemma-oem-laptops-and-windows-10-security";>
+ Windows 10 comes with 13 screens of snooping options</a>, all enabled
+ by default, and turning them off would be daunting to most users.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201601050">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201511264">
+ <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://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/26/microsoft_renamed_data_slurper_reinserted_windows_10/";>
+ to give users the impression it was gone</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>To use proprietary software is to invite such treatment.</p>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201508130">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201507300">
+ <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>
+ </li>
+
+ <li id="M201506170">
+ <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>
- <p>Thus, Windows is overt malware in regard to surveillance,
- as in other issues.</p>
+ <p>Thus, Windows is overt malware in regard to surveillance, as in
+ other issues.</p>
- <p>We can suppose Microsoft look at users' files for the US government on
- demand, though the “privacy policy” does not explicit say so.
Will it
- look at users' files for the Chinese government on demand?</p>
+ <p>We can suppose Microsoft look at users' files for the US government
+ on demand, though the “privacy policy” does not explicit
+ say so. Will it look at users' files for the Chinese government
+ on demand?</p>
- <p>The unique “advertising ID” for each user enables other
companies to
- track the browsing of each specific user.</p>
+ <p>The unique “advertising ID” for each user enables
+ other companies to track the browsing of each specific user.</p>
<p>It's as if Microsoft has deliberately chosen to make Windows 10
maximally evil on every dimension; to make a grab for total power
- over anyone that doesn't drop Windows now.</p></li>
+ over anyone that doesn't drop Windows now.</p>
+ </li>
-</ul>
+ <li id="M201410040">
+ <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>
+ </li>
-<h3 id="drm">Microsoft DRM</h3>
-<ul>
- <li><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2007/08/aacs-tentacles/";>
- DRM (digital restrictions mechanisms) in Windows</a>, introduced to
- cater to <a href="/proprietary/proprietary-drm.html#bluray">Bluray</a> disks.
- (The article also talks about how the same malware would later be introduced
- in MacOS.)</p></li>
-</ul>
+ <li id="M201405140">
+ <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>
+ </li>
-<h3 id="jails">Microsoft Jails</h3>
-<ul>
- <li>
- <p>Windows 10 S was a jail: <a
-
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/03/windows-10-s-microsoft-faster-pc-comparison";>
- only programs from the Windows Store could be installed and
- executed</a>. It was however possible to <a
-
href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/13/15789998/microsoft-windows-10-s-upgrade-windows-10-pro-guide";>
- upgrade to Windows 10 Pro</a>. The successor of Windows 10 S is a
- special configuration of Windows 10 called <a
-
href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4020089/windows-10-in-s-mode-faq";>
- S mode</a>. The major difference with Windows 10 S is that there
- is an easy way to switch out of S mode.</p></li>
+ <li id="M201307110">
+ <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>
+ </li>
- <li>
- <p><a
href="http://www.itworld.com/article/2832657/operating-systems/microsoft-metro-app-store-lock-down.html";>
- Windows 8 on “mobile devices” (now defunct) was a
- jail</a>.</p></li>
+ <li id="M201307080">
+ <p>Spyware in older versions of Windows: <a
+ href="https://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>
+ </li>
</ul>
+
<h3 id="tyrants">Microsoft Tyrants</h3>
-<ul>
-<li>
-<p>Microsoft accidentally left a way for users to install GNU/Linux
-on Windows RT tablets, but now it has <a
-href="http://www.securitynewspaper.com/2016/07/15/microsoft-silently-kills-dev-backdoor-boots-linux-locked-windows-rt-slabs/";>
- “fixed” the “error”</a>. They have the
-gall to call this “protecting” the users. The article
-talks of installing “Linux”, but the context shows it is
-really <a href="/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html">GNU/Linux</a> that users
-install.
-</p>
-</li>
- <li><p><a href="http://fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/";>
- Mobile devices that come with Windows 8 are tyrants</a>: they block
- users from installing other or modified operating systems.</p></li>
-</ul>
-<h3 id="subscriptions">Microsoft Subscriptions</h3>
+<ul class="blurbs">
+<!-- INSERT tyrants -->
+ <li id="M201607150">
+ <p>Microsoft accidentally left a way for users
+ to install GNU/Linux on Windows RT tablets, but now it has <a
+
href="http://www.securitynewspaper.com/2016/07/15/microsoft-silently-kills-dev-backdoor-boots-linux-locked-windows-rt-slabs/";>
+ “fixed” the “error”</a>. They have the gall
+ to call this “protecting” the users. The article talks
+ of installing “Linux”, but the context shows it is really
+ <a href="/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html">GNU/Linux</a> that users install.</p>
+ </li>
-<ul>
-<li><p>Microsoft Office forces
- users <a
href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2948755/windows-apps/office-for-windows-10-will-require-office-365-subscription-on-pcs-larger-tablets.html";>to
- subscribe to Office 365 to be able to create/edit
- documents</a>.</p>
-</li>
+ <li id="M201110110">
+ <p><a href="https://fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/";>
+ Mobile devices that come with Windows 8 are tyrants</a>.</p>
+ </li>
</ul>
+
<p>As this page shows, if you do want to clean your computer of malware,
the first software to delete is Windows.</p>
@@ -511,7 +605,7 @@
<p class="unprintable">Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2018/07/25 01:44:51 $
+$Date: 2018/10/05 11:26:55 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>
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