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www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs...
|
From: |
Therese Godefroy |
|
Subject: |
www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs... |
|
Date: |
Wed, 19 Sep 2018 16:49:49 -0400 (EDT) |
CVSROOT: /webcvs/www
Module name: www
Changes by: Therese Godefroy <th_g> 18/09/19 16:49:49
Modified files:
server/staging/proprietary/rec: propr-blurbs.rec
Log message:
More tagging and fixes; consolidate the windows 7 > 10 story.
CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/server/staging/proprietary/rec/propr-blurbs.rec?cvsroot=www&r1=1.5&r2=1.6
Patches:
Index: propr-blurbs.rec
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/server/staging/proprietary/rec/propr-blurbs.rec,v
retrieving revision 1.5
retrieving revision 1.6
diff -u -b -r1.5 -r1.6
--- propr-blurbs.rec 17 Sep 2018 19:41:55 -0000 1.5
+++ propr-blurbs.rec 19 Sep 2018 20:49:49 -0000 1.6
@@ -20,11 +20,30 @@
# case, each line within a blurb should start with a + sign, including
# blank lines.
+Id: -201607040
+PubDate: 2015-12-07
+PubDate: 2015-09-11
+PubDate: 2016-07-04
+PubDate: 2016-06-27
+PubDate: 2016-03-12
+PubDate: 2016-03-17
+Section: sabotage microsoft
+Keyword: windows
+Blurb: <p>In 2015, Microsoft tried to push Windows 10 down the throat of
Windows 7 and 8 users. Its first move was to <a
href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3012278/microsoft-windows/microsoft-sets-stage-for-massive-windows-10-upgrade-strategy.html";>
disregard their no-“upgrade” settings</a> and <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/sep/11/microsoft-downloading-windows-1";>
force silent Windows 10 downloads</a>, thereby using up storage space on
low-end computers and download quota on metered connections.</p>
++
++ <p>Then, for many months, Microsoft <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/04/microsoft-windows-10-full-screen-upgrade-notification-pop-up-reminder";>
nagged users obnoxiously</a> to install the unwanted <a
href="http://gizmodo.com/woman-wins-10-000-from-microsoft-after-unwanted-window-1782666146";>
downgrade</a>, eventually tricking them by <a
href="https://news.softpedia.com/news/windows-10-upgrade-reportedly-starting-automatically-on-windows-7-pcs-501651.shtml";>
making installation a recommended option</a>, and offering it at each system
update <a
href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/17/microsoft_windows_10_upgrade_gwx_vs_humanity/";>
regardless of previous refusals, by means of malware-like techniques</a>,
until users failed to say no.</p>
+
+Id: -201809120
+Added: 20180918
+PubDate: 2018-09-12
+Section: interference microsoft
+Keyword: windows
+Blurb: <p>One version of Windows 10 <a
href="https://www.ghacks.net/2018/09/12/microsoft-intercepting-firefox-chrome-installation-on-windows-10/";>
harangues users if they try to install Firefox (or Chrome)</a>.</p>
Id: -201510300
PubDate: 2015-10-30
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>More than 73% and 47% of mobile applications, from Android and iOS
respectively <a href="https://techscience.org/a/2015103001/";>share personal,
behavioral and location information</a> of their users with third parties.</p>
Id: -201708160
@@ -54,8 +73,8 @@
Id: -201809070
PubDate: 2018-09-07
-Section: surveillance macos apple
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance apple
+Keyword: macos
Blurb: <p>Adware Doctor, an ad blocker for MacOS, <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/wjye8x/mac-anti-adware-doctor-app-steals-browsing-history";>reports
the user's browsing history</a>.</p>
Id: -201808120
@@ -108,7 +127,7 @@
PubDate: 2018-07-02
Section: insecurity mobiles
Keyword: samsung
-Blurb: <p id="samsung">Some Samsung phones randomly <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/7/2/17528076/samsung-phones-text-rcs-update-messages";>
send photos to people in the owner's contact list</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Some Samsung phones randomly <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/7/2/17528076/samsung-phones-text-rcs-update-messages";>
send photos to people in the owner's contact list</a>.</p>
Id: -201806250
PubDate: 2018-06-25
@@ -137,7 +156,7 @@
Id: -201805310
PubDate: 2018-05-31
Section: apple sabotage
-Keyword: telegram app
+Keyword: telegram apps
Blurb: <p>Apple has <a
href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/31/17412396/telegram-apple-app-store-app-updates-russia";>blocked
Telegram from upgrading its app for a month</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This evidently has to do with Russia's command to Apple to block
Telegram in Russia.</p>
@@ -152,8 +171,8 @@
Id: -201804180
PubDate: 2018-04-18
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: interference
+Keyword: pearson
Blurb: <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>
Id: -201804160
@@ -250,22 +269,28 @@
Id: -201712060
Added: 20180915
PubDate: 2017-12-06
-Section: games sabotage
+Section: games interference
Keyword: addiction
Blurb: <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>
+Id: -201711251
+PubDate: 2017-11-25
+Section: surveillance mobiles ithings
+Keyword: apple drm
+Blurb: <p>The DMCA and the EU Copyright Directive make it <a
href="https://boingboing.net/2017/11/25/la-la-la-cant-hear-you.html";> illegal
to study how iOS cr…apps spy on users</a>, because this would require
circumventing the iOS DRM.</p>
+
Id: -201711250
PubDate: 2017-11-25
-Section: appleDRM drm surveillance
-Keyword: ios
+Section: apple drm
+Keyword: surveillance mobiles ithings
Blurb: <p>The DMCA and the EU Copyright Directive make it <a
href="https://boingboing.net/2017/11/25/la-la-la-cant-hear-you.html";> illegal
to study how iOS cr…apps spy on users</a>, because this would require
circumventing the iOS DRM.</p>
Id: -201711241
PubDate: 2017-11-24
Section: back-doors universal toy
-Keyword: hasbro furby app
+Keyword: hasbro furby apps
Blurb: <p>The Furby Connect has a <a
href="https://www.contextis.com/blog/dont-feed-them-after-midnight-reverse-engineering-the-furby-connect";>
universal back door</a>. If the product as shipped doesn't act as a listening
device, remote changes to the code could surely convert it into one.</p>
Id: -201711240
@@ -314,8 +339,8 @@
Id: -201711080
PubDate: 2017-11-08
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: sabotage tethers appliances
+Keyword: logitech
Blurb: <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>
@@ -324,7 +349,7 @@
PubDate: 2017-11-07
Section: games surveillance
Keyword: driver
-Blurb: <p>The driver for a certain gaming keyboard <a
href="https://thehackernews.com/2017/11/mantistek-keyboard-keylogger.html";>
sends information to China</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>The driver for a certain gaming keyboard <a
href="https://thehackernews.com/2017/11/mantistek-keyboard-keylogger.html";>sends
information to China</a>.</p>
Id: -201711010
PubDate: 2017-11-01
@@ -338,14 +363,14 @@
Keyword:
Blurb: <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>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";>
“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 can
contain sensitive information like administrator's login password</a>.</p>
++ <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 can
contain sensitive information like administrator's login password</a>.</p>
Id: -201710130
PubDate: 2017-10-13
-Section: apple jails censorship
-Keyword:
+Section: apple jails
+Keyword: censorship
Blurb: <p>Apple is <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/10/iranian-hardliners-want-isolated-internet";>
censoring apps for the US government too</a>. Specifically, it is deleting
apps developed by Iranians.</p>
+
+ <p>The root of these wrongs are in Apple. If Apple had not designed the
iMonsters to let Apple censor applications, Apple would not have had the power
to stop users from installing whatever kind of apps.</p>
@@ -353,7 +378,7 @@
Id: -201710042
PubDate: 2017-10-04
Section: apple sabotage
-Keyword: system macos
+Keyword: macos
Blurb: <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>
Id: -201710041
@@ -386,8 +411,8 @@
Id: -201709210
PubDate: 2017-09-21
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: apple surveillance
+Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <p>In the latest iThings system, “turning off” WiFi and
Bluetooth the obvious way <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/sep/21/ios-11-apple-toggling-wifi-bluetooth-control-centre-doesnt-turn-them-off";>
doesn't really turn them off</a>. A more advanced way really does turn them
off—only until 5am. That's Apple for you—“We know you want to
be spied on”.</p>
Id: -201709200
@@ -398,26 +423,18 @@
+
+ <p>Note that this article misuses the term <a
href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Hacker"> “hackers”</a>
referring to crackers.</p>
-Id: -201709092
-PubDate: 2017-09-09
-Section: cars
-Keyword: tesla back-doors universal sabotage
-Blurb: <p>Tesla used a universal back door in its 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>
-+
-+ <p>While remotely allowing car “owners” to use the whole
battery capacity did not do them any harm, the same back door would permit
Tesla (perhaps under the command of some government) to remotely order the car
to use none of its battery. Or perhaps to drive its passenger to a torture
prison.</p>
-
Id: -201709091
PubDate: 2017-09-09
-Section: back-doors universal
+Section: back-doors universal cars
Keyword: tesla cars sabotage
-Blurb: <p>Tesla cars have a <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>
+Blurb: <p>Tesla used software to limit the fraction of battery capacity that
was available to customers, and <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/09/tesla-flips-a-switch-to-increase-the-range-of-some-cars-in-florida-to-help-people-evacuate/";>
a universal back door in the software</a> to temporarily increase this
limit.</p>
+
+ <p>While remotely allowing car “owners” to use the whole
battery capacity did not do them any harm, the same back door would permit
Tesla (perhaps under the command of some government) to remotely order the car
to use none of its battery. Or perhaps to drive its passenger to a torture
prison.</p>
Id: -201709090
PubDate: 2017-09-09
Section: sabotage
-Keyword: tesla cars back-doors universal sabotage
+Keyword: tesla cars back-doors universal
Blurb: <p>Tesla used software to limit customers to using just <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/09/tesla-flips-a-switch-to-increase-the-range-of-some-cars-in-florida-to-help-people-evacuate/";>
part of the battery of some cars</a>.</p>
Id: -201708280
@@ -432,15 +449,15 @@
Id: -201708270
PubDate: 2017-08-27
-Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: sarahah app
+Section: surveillance mobiles apps
+Keyword: sarahah
Blurb: <p>The Sarahah app <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/08/27/hit-app-sarahah-quietly-uploads-your-address-book/";>
uploads all phone numbers and email addresses</a> in user's address book to
developer's server. Note that this article misuses the words “<a
href="/philosophy/free-sw.html"> free software</a>” referring to zero
price.</p>
Id: -201708230
PubDate: 2017-08-21
PubDate: 2017-08-23
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: sabotage appliances
+Keyword: sonos
Blurb: <p>Sonos <a
href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/sonos-accept-new-privacy-policy-speakers-cease-to-function/";>
told all its customers, “Agree” to snooping or the product will
stop working</a>. <a
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/08/23/sonos-holds-software-updates-hostage-if-you-dont-sign-new-privacy-agreement/#more-10287321";>
Another article</a> says they won't forcibly change the software, but people
won't be able to get any upgrades and eventually it will stop working.</p>
Id: -201708040
@@ -459,8 +476,8 @@
Id: -201707290
PubDate: 2017-07-29
-Section: apple jails censorship
-Keyword:
+Section: apple jails
+Keyword: censorship
Blurb: <p>Apple <a
href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/29/technology/china-apple-censorhip.html";>
deleted several VPNs from its app store for China</a>, thus using its own
censorship power to strengthen that of the Chinese government.</p>
Id: -201707270
@@ -513,7 +530,7 @@
Id: -201706060
PubDate: 2017-06-06
-Section: apple sabotage ithing
+Section: apple sabotage ithings
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Apple will stop <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jun/06/iphone-ipad-apps-games-apple-5-5c-obsolete";>fixing
bugs for older model iThings</a>.</p>
+
@@ -539,7 +556,7 @@
Id: -201705230
PubDate: 2017-05-23
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>Apps for BART <a
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/05/23/passengers-say-commuter-rail-app-illegally-collects-personal-user-data/";>
snoop on users</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>With free software apps, users could <em>make sure</em> that they don't
snoop.</p>
@@ -580,25 +597,31 @@
PubDate: 2017-05-12
Section: microsoft insecurity
Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <p>Exploits of bugs in Windows, which were developed by the NSA and
then leaked by the Shadowbrokers group, are now being used to <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/05/12/the-nsas-lost-digital-weapon-is-helping-hijack-computers-around-the-world/";>
attack a great number of Windows computers with ransomware</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Exploits of bugs in Windows, which were developed by the NSA and
then leaked by the Shadowbrokers group, are now being used to <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/05/12/the-nsas-lost-digital-weapon-is-helping-hijack-computers-around-the-world/";>attack
a great number of Windows computers with ransomware</a>.</p>
+
+Id: -201705041
+PubDate: 2017-05-04
+Section: surveillance mobiles apps
+Keyword: android
+Blurb: <p>A study found 234 Android apps that track users by <a
href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/234-android-applications-are-currently-using-ultrasonic-beacons-to-track-users/";>
listening to ultrasound from beacons placed in stores or played by TV
programs</a>.</p>
Id: -201705040
PubDate: 2017-05-04
-Section: surveillance mobiles insecurity
-Keyword: android app
+Section: insecurity
+Keyword: surveillance mobiles android apps
Blurb: <p>A study found 234 Android apps that track users by <a
href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/234-android-applications-are-currently-using-ultrasonic-beacons-to-track-users/";>
listening to ultrasound from beacons placed in stores or played by TV
programs</a>.</p>
Id: -201704260
PubDate: 2017-04-26
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: facebook app
+Keyword: facebook apps
Blurb: <p>Faceapp appears to do lots of surveillance, judging by <a
href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/04/26/everything-thats-wrong-with-faceapp-the-latest-creepy-photo-app-for-your-face/";>
how much access it demands to personal data in the device</a>.</p>
Id: -201704191
PubDate: 2017-04-19
Section: microsoft sabotage
Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <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>
+Blurb: <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>
Id: -201704190
PubDate: 2017-04-19
@@ -618,20 +641,28 @@
Id: -201704120
PubDate: 2017-04-12
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Anova sabotaged users' cooking devices with a downgrade that
tethered them to a remote server. <a
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/04/12/anova-ticks-off-customers-by-requiring-mandatory-accounts-to-cook-food/#more-10275062";>
Unless users create an account on Anova's servers, their cookers won't
function.</a></p>
+Section: sabotage appliances tethers
+Keyword: anova
+Blurb: <p>Anova sabotaged users' cooking devices with a downgrade that
tethered them to a remote server. <a
href="https://consumerist.com/2017/04/12/anova-ticks-off-customers-by-requiring-mandatory-accounts-to-cook-food/#more-10275062";>
Unless users create an account on Anova's servers, their cookers won't
function</a>.</p>
-Id: -201704071
+Id: -201704075
PubDate: 2017-04-07
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: android app
+Keyword: android apps
Blurb: <p>Pairs of Android apps can collude to transmit users' personal data
to servers. <a
href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/04/when-apps-collude-to-steal-your-data/522177/";>
A study found tens of thousands of pairs that collude</a>.</p>
+Id: -201704071
+PubDate: 2017-04-07
+Section: sabotage apple
+Keyword: drm mobiles
+Blurb: <p>The iPhone 7 contains DRM specifically designed to <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kbjm8e/iphone-7-home-button-unreplaceable-repair-software-lock";>
brick it if an “unauthorized” repair shop fixes it</a>.
“Unauthorized” essentially means anyone besides Apple.</p>
++
++ <p>The article uses the term “lock” to describe the DRM, but we
prefer to use the term <a
href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#DigitalLocks";> digital
handcuffs</a>.</p>
+
Id: -201704070
PubDate: 2017-04-07
-Section: appleDRM drm sabotage mobiles
-Keyword:
+Section: drm mobiles
+Keyword: sabotage apple
Blurb: <p>The iPhone 7 contains DRM specifically designed to <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/kbjm8e/iphone-7-home-button-unreplaceable-repair-software-lock";>
brick it if an “unauthorized” repair shop fixes it</a>.
“Unauthorized” essentially means anyone besides Apple.</p>
+
+ <p>The article uses the term “lock” to describe the DRM, but we
prefer to use the term <a
href="https://gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#DigitalLocks";> digital
handcuffs</a>.</p>
@@ -645,7 +676,7 @@
Id: -201703300
PubDate: 2017-03-30
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: verizon app
+Keyword: verizon apps
Blurb: <p>Verizon <a
href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/03/30/0112259/verizon-to-force-appflash-spyware-on-android-phones";>
announced an opt-in proprietary search app that it will</a> pre-install on
some of its phones. The app will give Verizon the same information about the
users' searches that Google normally gets when they use its search engine.</p>
+
+ <p>Currently, the app is <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/04/update-verizons-appflash-pre-installed-spyware-still-spyware";>
being pre-installed on only one phone</a>, and the user must explicitly opt-in
before the app takes effect. However, the app remains spyware—an
“optional” piece of spyware is still spyware.</p>
@@ -721,7 +752,7 @@
Id: -201702150
PubDate: 2017-02-15
-Section: surveillance apple ithing
+Section: surveillance apple ithings
Keyword: iphone
Blurb: <p>Apple proposes <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/15/apple-removing-iphone-home-button-fingerprint-scanning-screen";>a
fingerprint-scanning touch screen</a>—which would mean no way to use it
without having your fingerprints taken. Users would have no way to tell whether
the phone is snooping on them.</p>
@@ -741,13 +772,13 @@
PubDate: 2017-02-02
Section: drm
Keyword: microsoft windows
-Blurb: <p>Windows DRM files <a
href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/02/02/231229/windows-drm-protected-files-used-to-decloak-tor-browser-users";>
can be used to identify people browsing through Tor</a>. The vulnerability
exists only if you use Windows.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Windows DRM files <a
href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/02/02/231229/windows-drm-protected-files-used-to-decloak-tor-browser-users";>can
be used to identify people browsing through Tor</a>. The vulnerability exists
only if you use Windows.</p>
Id: -201702020
PubDate: 2017-02-02
Section: surveillance microsoft
Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <p>Windows DRM files <a
href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/02/02/231229/windows-drm-protected-files-used-to-decloak-tor-browser-users";>
can be used to identify people browsing through Tor</a>. The vulnerability
exists only if you use Windows.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Windows DRM files <a
href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/02/02/231229/windows-drm-protected-files-used-to-decloak-tor-browser-users";>can
be used to identify people browsing through Tor</a>. The vulnerability exists
only if you use Windows.</p>
Id: -201701300
PubDate: 2017-01-30
@@ -766,7 +797,7 @@
Id: -201701210
PubDate: 2017-01-21
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>The Meitu photo-editing app <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2017/01/21/popular-selfie-app-sending-user-data-to-china-researchers-say/";>
sends user data to a Chinese company</a>.</p>
Id: -201701180
@@ -780,15 +811,15 @@
Id: -201701131
PubDate: 2017-01-13
-Section: back-doors surveillance mobile
-Keyword: app whatsapp
+Section: back-doors mobiles
+Keyword: apps whatsapp
Blurb: <p>WhatsApp <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/13/whatsapp-backdoor-allows-snooping-on-encrypted-messages";>
has a back door that the company can use to read the plaintext of
messages</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This should not come as a surprise. Nonfree software for encryption is
never trustworthy.</p>
Id: -201701130
PubDate: 2017-01-13
-Section: insecurity back-doors mobiles
+Section: insecurity surveillance apps
Keyword: whatsapp
Blurb: <p>WhatsApp has a feature that <a
href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/13/encrypted-messaging-platform-whatsapp-denies-backdoor-claim/";>
has been described as a “back door”</a> because it would enable
governments to nullify its encryption.</p>
+
@@ -796,14 +827,14 @@
Id: -201701110
PubDate: 2017-01-11
-Section:
+Section: interference adobe
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>An upgrade package for Acrobat Reader <a
href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/adobe-acrobat-reader-dc-update-installs-chrome-browser-extension/";>
silently alters Chrome</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>An upgrade package for Acrobat Reader <a
href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/adobe-acrobat-reader-dc-update-installs-chrome-browser-extension/";>silently
alters Chrome</a>.</p>
Id: -201701061
PubDate: 2017-01-06
-Section: apple jails censorship
-Keyword:
+Section: apple jails
+Keyword: apps censorship
Blurb: <p>Apple used its censorship system to enforce Russian surveillance <a
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/technology/linkedin-blocked-in-russia.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0";>
by blocking distribution of the LinkedIn app in Russia</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This is ironic because LinkedIn is a surveillance system itself. While
subjecting its users to its own surveillance, it tries to protect its users
from Russian surveillance, and is therefore subject to Russian censorship.</p>
@@ -818,8 +849,8 @@
Id: -201701050
PubDate: 2017-01-05
-Section: apple jails censorship
-Keyword:
+Section: apple jails
+Keyword: apps censorship
Blurb: <p>Apple used its censorship system to enforce China's censorship <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/05/apple-removes-new-york-times-app-in-china";>
by blocking distribution of the New York Times app</a>.</p>
Id: -201612230
@@ -832,8 +863,8 @@
Id: -201612200
PubDate: 2016-12-20
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: sabotage appliances
+Keyword: ham-radio
Blurb: <p>The developer of Ham Radio Deluxe <a
href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20161220/12411836320/company-bricks-users-software-after-he-posts-negative-review.shtml";>
sabotaged a customer's installation as punishment for posting a negative
review</a>.</p>
+
+ <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>
@@ -852,16 +883,16 @@
Id: -201612061
PubDate: 2016-12-06
-Section: insecurity toy appliances
-Keyword: my-friend-cayla
+Section: insecurity appliances
+Keyword: my-friend-cayla surveillance toy
Blurb: <p>The “smart” toys My Friend Cayla and i-Que can be <a
href="https://www.forbrukerradet.no/siste-nytt/connected-toys-violate-consumer-laws";>
remotely controlled with a mobile phone</a>; physical access is not necessary.
This would enable crackers to listen in on a child's conversations, and even
speak into the toys themselves.</p>
+
+ <p>This means a burglar could speak into the toys and ask the child to
unlock the front door while Mommy's not looking.</p>
Id: -201612060
PubDate: 2016-12-06
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance toy
+Keyword: my-friend-cayla insecurity appliances
Blurb: <p>The “smart” toys My Friend Cayla and i-Que transmit <a
href="https://www.forbrukerradet.no/siste-nytt/connected-toys-violate-consumer-laws";>
children's conversations to Nuance Communications</a>, a speech recognition
company based in the U.S.</p>
+
+ <p>Those toys also contain major security vulnerabilities; crackers can
remotely control the toys with a mobile phone. This would enable crackers to
listen in on a child's speech, and even speak into the toys themselves.</p>
@@ -878,11 +909,11 @@
PubDate: 2016-11-24
Section: surveillance microsoft windows
Keyword: system
-Blurb: <p>By default, Windows 10 <a
href="http://betanews.com/2016/11/24/microsoft-shares-windows-10-telemetry-data-with-third-parties";>
sends debugging information to Microsoft, including core dumps</a>. Microsoft
now distributes them to another company.</p>
+Blurb: <p>By default, Windows 10 <a
href="http://betanews.com/2016/11/24/microsoft-shares-windows-10-telemetry-data-with-third-parties";>sends
debugging information to Microsoft, including core dumps</a>. Microsoft now
distributes them to another company.</p>
Id: -201611170
PubDate: 2016-11-17
-Section: apple surveillance ithing
+Section: apple surveillance ithings
Keyword: iphone
Blurb: <p>iPhones <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2016/11/17/iphones-secretly-send-call-history-to-apple-security-firm-says/";>send
lots of personal data to Apple's servers</a>. Big Brother can get them from
there.</p>
@@ -924,7 +955,7 @@
PubDate: 2016-11-07
Section: games surveillance
Keyword: nVidia
-Blurb: <p>nVidia's proprietary GeForce Experience <a
href="http://www.gamersnexus.net/industry/2672-geforce-experience-data-transfer-analysis";>
makes users identify themselves and then sends personal data about them to
nVidia servers</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>nVidia's proprietary GeForce Experience <a
href="http://www.gamersnexus.net/industry/2672-geforce-experience-data-transfer-analysis";>makes
users identify themselves and then sends personal data about them to nVidia
servers</a>.</p>
Id: -201611060
PubDate: 2016-11-06
@@ -940,8 +971,8 @@
Id: -201609280
PubDate: 2016-09-28
-Section: apple surveillance ithing
-Keyword: imessage app
+Section: apple surveillance ithings
+Keyword: imessage apps
Blurb: <p>The iMessage app on iThings <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2016/09/28/apple-logs-your-imessage-contacts-and-may-share-them-with-police/";>tells
a server every phone number that the user types into it</a>; the server
records these numbers for at least 30 days.</p>
Id: -201609240
@@ -954,7 +985,7 @@
Id: -201609210
PubDate: 2016-09-21
Section: google surveillance
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>Google's new voice messaging app <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/21/12994362/allo-privacy-message-logs-google";>
logs all conversations</a>.</p>
Id: -201609200
@@ -966,7 +997,7 @@
Id: -201609140
PubDate: 2016-09-14
Section: surveillance mobiles google
-Keyword: android app
+Keyword: android apps
Blurb: <p>Google Play (a component of Android) <a
href="https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/235594-yes-google-play-is-tracking-you-and-thats-just-the-tip-of-a-very-large-iceberg";>
tracks the users' movements without their permission</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Even if you disable Google Maps and location tracking, you must disable
Google Play itself to completely stop the tracking. This is yet another example
of nonfree software pretending to obey the user, when it's actually doing
something else. Such a thing would be almost unthinkable with free software.</p>
@@ -1013,7 +1044,7 @@
PubDate: 2016-08-02
Section: microsoft insecurity
Keyword: browser
-Blurb: <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>
+Blurb: <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>
Id: -201607290
PubDate: 2016-07-29
@@ -1024,13 +1055,13 @@
Id: -201607281
PubDate: 2016-07-28
Section: back-doors alter-data apple macos
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>The Dropbox app for Macintosh <a
href="http://applehelpwriter.com/2016/07/28/revealing-dropboxs-dirty-little-security-hack/";>
takes control of user interface items after luring the user into entering an
admin password</a>.</p>
Id: -201607280
PubDate: 2016-07-28
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>A half-blind security critique of a tracking app: it found that <a
href="http://www.consumerreports.org/mobile-security-software/glow-pregnancy-app-exposed-women-to-privacy-threats/";>
blatant flaws allowed anyone to snoop on a user's personal data</a>. The
critique fails entirely to express concern that the app sends the personal data
to a server, where the <em>developer</em> gets it all. This
“service” is for suckers!</p>
+
+ <p>The server surely has a “privacy policy,” and surely it is
worthless since nearly all of them are.</p>
@@ -1057,7 +1088,7 @@
PubDate: 2016-07-15
Section: microsoft tyrants
Keyword: windows-rt
-Blurb: <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>
+Blurb: <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>
Id: -201607140
PubDate: 2016-07-14
@@ -1065,12 +1096,6 @@
Keyword: games
Blurb: <p>The proprietor of the Pokémon Go game <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/14/pokemon-go-sponsored-locations-restaurants-business";>
invites restaurants and other businesses to pay to have the game lure people
there</a>.</p>
-Id: -201607040
-PubDate: 2016-07-04
-Section: microsoft interference
-Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <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>
-
Id: -201606290
PubDate: 2016-06-29
Section: insecurity
@@ -1079,18 +1104,11 @@
+
+ <p>GNU/Linux does not need antivirus software.</p>
-Id: -201606270
-PubDate: 2016-06-27
-PubDate: 2015-12-07
-Section: microsoft sabotage
-Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <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>
-
Id: -201606080
PubDate: 2016-06-08
Section: apple sabotage
Keyword: windows quicktime
-Blurb: <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>
+Blurb: <p>Apple <a
href="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>
Id: -201606060
PubDate: 2016-06-06
@@ -1122,33 +1140,27 @@
PubDate: 2016-06-01
Section: microsoft sabotage
Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <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>
+Blurb: <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>
+
+ <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>
Id: -201605310
PubDate: 2016-05-31
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: facebook app
+Keyword: facebook apps
Blurb: <p>Facebook's app listens all the time, <a
href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-using-people-s-phones-to-listen-in-on-what-they-re-saying-claims-professor-a7057526.html";>
to snoop on what people are listening to or watching</a>. In addition, it may
be analyzing people's conversations to serve them with targeted
advertisements.</p>
-Id: -201605220
-PubDate: 2016-05-22
-Section: microsoft interference
-Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <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>
-
Id: -201605200
PubDate: 2016-05-20
Section: games drm
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Oculus Rift games now <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/vv77ea/new-oculus-drm-cross-platform";>
have DRM meant to prevent running them on other systems</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Oculus Rift games now have <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/vv77ea/new-oculus-drm-cross-platform";>
DRM meant to prevent running them on other systems</a>.</p>
Id: -201605190
PubDate: 2016-05-19
-Section: apple jails censorship games
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Apple censors games, <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/05/apple-says-game-about-palestinian-child-isnt-a-game";>
banning some games from the crâ¦app store</a> because of which political
points they suggest. Some political points are apparently considered
acceptable.</p>
+Section: apple jails
+Keyword: games censorship
+Blurb: <p>Apple censors games, <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/05/apple-says-game-about-palestinian-child-isnt-a-game";>
banning some games from the cr…app store</a> because of which political
points they suggest. Some political points are apparently considered
acceptable.</p>
Id: -201605150
PubDate: 2016-05-15
@@ -1162,14 +1174,14 @@
PubDate: 2013-11-13
PubDate: 2016-05-04
Section: apple incompatibility
-Keyword: app macos ios icloud
+Keyword: apps macos ios icloud
Blurb: <p>iWork (office software that runs on MacOS, iOS and iCloud) uses
secret formats and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IWork";>provides no
means of converting them to or from Open Document Formats</a>. iWork formats
have changed several times since they were first introduced. This may have had
the effect of thwarting <a
href="https://github.com/obriensp/iWorkFileFormat";>reverse engineering
efforts</a>, thus preventing free software from fully supporting them.</p>
+
+ <p>iWork formats are considered <a
href="https://wiki.harvard.edu/confluence/download/attachments/204385883/Format%20profile%20-%20Apple%20iWork%20Pages%20v04.docx?version=1&modificationDate=1459873751000&api=v2";>
unfit for document preservation</a>.</p>
Id: -201605040
PubDate: 2016-05-04
-Section: apple sabotage app
+Section: apple sabotage apps
Keyword:
Blurb: <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>
@@ -1192,7 +1204,7 @@
Id: -201604120
PubDate: 2016-04-12
Section: insecurity apple
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>A bug in the iThings Messages app <a
href="https://theintercept.com/2016/04/12/apple-bug-exposed-chat-history-with-a-single-click/";>allowed
a malicious web site to extract all the user's messaging history</a>.</p>
Id: -201604110
@@ -1224,14 +1236,14 @@
Id: -201603100
PubDate: 2016-03-10
Section: insecurity mobiles
-Keyword: payment app
+Keyword: payment apps
Blurb: <p>Many proprietary payment apps <a
href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-10/many-mobile-payments-startups-aren-t-properly-securing-user-data";>transmit
personal data in an insecure way</a>. However, the worse aspect of these apps
is that <a href="/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html">payment is not
anonymous</a>.</p>
Id: -201603090
PubDate: 2016-03-09
Section: microsoft interference
Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <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>
+Blurb: <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>
Id: -201603080
PubDate: 2016-03-08
@@ -1259,8 +1271,8 @@
Id: -201602050
PubDate: 2016-02-05
-Section: apple sabotage ithing
-Keyword:
+Section: apple sabotage
+Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <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>
Id: -201602030
@@ -1273,24 +1285,18 @@
+
+ <p>Google's censorship, unlike that of Apple, is not total: Android allows
users to install apps in other ways. You can install free programs from
f-droid.org.</p>
-Id: -201602020
-PubDate: 2016-02-02
-Section: microsoft sabotage
-Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <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>
-
Id: -201601310
PubDate: 2014-10-23
PubDate: 2016-01-31
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: sabotage microsoft
+Keyword: ftdi driver
Blurb: <p>FTDI's proprietary driver for its USB-to-serial chips has been
designed to <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/10/windows-update-drivers-bricking-usb-serial-chips-beloved-of-hardware-hackers/";>
sabotage alternative compatible chips</a> so that they no longer work.
Microsoft is <a
href="http://it.slashdot.org/story/16/01/31/1720259/ftdi-driver-breaks-hardware-again";>
installing this automatically</a> as an “upgrade”.</p>
Id: -201601160
PubDate: 2016-01-16
Section: microsoft sabotage
Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <p>Microsoft has <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/16/10780876/microsoft-windows-support-policy-new-processors-skylake";>
desupported all future Intel CPUs for Windows 7 and 8</a>. Those machines will
be stuck with the nastier Windows 10. <a
href="http://gizmodo.com/only-the-latest-version-of-windows-will-run-on-some-fut-1753545825";>
AMD and Qualcomm CPUs, too</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Microsoft has <a
href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/16/10780876/microsoft-windows-support-policy-new-processors-skylake";>desupported
all future Intel CPUs for Windows 7 and 8</a>. Those machines will be stuck
with the nastier Windows 10. <a
href="http://gizmodo.com/only-the-latest-version-of-windows-will-run-on-some-fut-1753545825";>
AMD and Qualcomm CPUs, too</a>.</p>
+
+ <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>
+
@@ -1302,7 +1308,7 @@
PubDate: 2016-01-14
Section: back-doors alter-data microsoft windows
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p id="windows7-back-door">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>
+Blurb: <p id="windows7-back-door">In 2015, users reported that <a
href="http://www.networkworld.com/article/2993490/windows/windows-10-upgrades-reportedly-appearing-as-mandatory-for-some-users.html#tk.rss_all";>
Microsoft was forcing them to replace Windows 7 and 8 with all-spying Windows
10</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Microsoft was in fact <a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/3012278/microsoft-windows/microsoft-sets-stage-for-massive-windows-10-upgrade-strategy.html";>
attacking computers that run Windows 7 and 8</a>, switching on a flag that
said whether to “upgrade” to Windows 10 when users had turned it
off.</p>
+
@@ -1313,7 +1319,7 @@
Id: -201601130
PubDate: 2016-01-13
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>Apps that include <a
href="http://techaeris.com/2016/01/13/symphony-advanced-media-software-tracks-your-digital-life-through-your-smartphone-mic/";>
Symphony surveillance software snoop on what radio and TV programs are playing
nearby</a>. Also on what users post on various sites such as Facebook, Google+
and Twitter.</p>
Id: -201601110
@@ -1360,14 +1366,14 @@
Id: -201512260
PubDate: 2015-12-26
-Section: appleDRM drm ithing
-Keyword: hardware
+Section: appleDRM drm
+Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <p><a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/bmvxp4/switzerland-wants-a-single-universal-phone-charger-by-2017";>
Apple uses DRM software to prevent people from charging an iThing with a
generic USB cable</a>.</p>
Id: -201512140
PubDate: 2015-12-14
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: sabotage appliances
+Keyword: phillips
Blurb: <p>Phillips “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>
+
+ <p>If a product is “smart”, and you didn't build it, it is
cleverly serving its manufacturer <em>against you</em>.</p>
@@ -1389,7 +1395,7 @@
PubDate: 2015-03-26
Section:
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.computerworlduk.com/it-business/windows-xp-end-of-an-era-end-of-an-error-3569489/";>
Microsoft cut off security fixes for Windows XP, except to some big users that
pay exorbitantly.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.computerworlduk.com/it-business/windows-xp-end-of-an-era-end-of-an-error-3569489/";>
Microsoft cut off security fixes for Windows XP, except to some big users that
pay exorbitantly</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Microsoft is going to <a
href="https://www.computerworlduk.com/applications/more-than-half-of-all-ie-users-face-patch-axe-in-10-months-3605515/";>
cut off support for some Internet Explorer versions</a> in the same way.</p>
+
@@ -1438,7 +1444,7 @@
Id: -201511191
PubDate: 2015-11-19
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>“Cryptic communication,” unrelated to the app's
functionality, was <a
href="http://news.mit.edu/2015/data-transferred-android-apps-hiding-1119";>
found in the 500 most popular gratis Android apps</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The article should not have described these apps as
“free”—they are not free software. The clear way to say
“zero price” is “gratis.”</p>
@@ -1509,14 +1515,6 @@
Keyword: firmware
Blurb: <p>“Self-encrypting” disk drives do the encryption with
proprietary firmware so you can't trust it. Western Digital's “My
Passport” drives <a
href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/mgbmma/some-popular-self-encrypting-hard-drives-have-really-bad-encryption";>
have a back door</a>.</p>
-Id: -201510150
-PubDate: 2015-10-15
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <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>
-
Id: -201510050
PubDate: 2015-10-05
Section:
@@ -1525,20 +1523,20 @@
Id: -201510020
PubDate: 2015-10-02
-Section: apple interference ithing
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Apple forced millions of iThings to download a system upgrade <a
href="https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7256669?tstart=0";>without asking the
users</a>. Apple did not forcibly install the upgrade but the downloading
alone caused lots of trouble.</p>
+Section: apple interference
+Keyword: ithings
+Blurb: <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>
Id: -201509290
PubDate: 2015-09-29
-Section: apple jails ithing
-Keyword:
+Section: apple jails
+Keyword: ithings censorship
Blurb: <p>Apple <a href="http://ifixit.org/blog/7401/ifixit-app-pulled/";>
banned a program from the App Store</a> because its developers committed the
enormity of disassembling some iThings.</p>
Id: -201509240
PubDate: 2015-09-24
PubDate: 2014-09-01
-Section: apple surveillance ithing
+Section: apple surveillance ithings
Keyword: icloud
Blurb: <p>iThings automatically upload to Apple's servers all the photos and
videos they make.</p>
+
@@ -1552,16 +1550,16 @@
Id: -201509230
PubDate: 2015-09-23
-Section: apple jails censorship
-Keyword:
+Section: apple jails
+Keyword: censorship
Blurb: <p>As of 2015, Apple <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/23/apple-anti-choice-tendencies-showing-in-app-store-reproductive-rights";>
systematically bans apps that endorse abortion rights or would help women find
abortions</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This particular political slant <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/dec/01/siri-abortion-apple-unintenional-omissions";>
affects other Apple services</a>.</p>
Id: -201509220
PubDate: 2015-09-22
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: sabotage surveillance bios
+Keyword: lenovo
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2984889/windows-pcs/lenovo-collects-usage-data-on-thinkpad-thinkcentre-and-thinkstation-pcs.html";>
Lenovo stealthily installed crapware and spyware via BIOS</a> on Windows
installs. Note that the specific sabotage method Lenovo used did not affect
GNU/Linux; also, a “clean” Windows install is not really clean
since <a href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html"> Microsoft puts in its own
malware</a>.</p>
Id: -201509210
@@ -1579,7 +1577,7 @@
Id: -201509160
PubDate: 2015-09-16
Section: back-doors alter-data surveillance games
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>Modern gratis game cr…apps <a
href="http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/";>
collect a wide range of data about their users and their users' friends and
associates</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Even nastier, they do it through ad networks that merge the data
collected by various cr…apps and sites made by different companies.</p>
@@ -1588,12 +1586,6 @@
+
+ <p>While the article describes gratis games, games that cost money can use
the same tactics.</p>
-Id: -201509110
-PubDate: 2015-09-11
-Section: microsoft sabotage
-Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <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>
-
Id: -201508210
PubDate: 2015-08-21
PubDate: 2015-08-21
@@ -1625,11 +1617,11 @@
Id: -201507300
PubDate: 2015-07-30
-Section: surveillance microsoft windows
-Keyword:
+Section: surveillance microsoft
+Keyword: windows
Blurb: <p>Windows 10 <a
href="https://jonathan.porta.codes/2015/07/30/windows-10-seems-to-have-some-scary-privacy-defaults/";>
ships with default settings that show no regard for the privacy of its
users</a>, giving Microsoft the “right” to snoop on the users'
files, text input, voice input, location info, contacts, calendar records and
web browsing history, as well as automatically connecting the machines to open
hotspots and showing targeted ads.</p>
+
-+ <p>We can suppose Microsoft looks 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>
++ <p>We can suppose Microsoft look at users' files for the US government on
demand, though the “privacy policy” does not explicitly say so.
Will it look at users' files for the Chinese government on demand?</p>
Id: -201507280
PubDate: 2015-07-28
@@ -1655,8 +1647,8 @@
Id: -201507210
PubDate: 2015-07-21
-Section: apple tyrants ithing
-Keyword: system
+Section: apple tyrants
+Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <p>The iThings are tyrant devices: they do not permit installing a
different or modified operating system. There is a port of Android to the
iThings, but installing it requires <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150721065208/http://www.idroidproject.org/wiki/Status";>
finding a bug or “exploit”</a> to make it possible to install a
different system.</p>
Id: -201507170
@@ -1669,13 +1661,13 @@
+
+ <p>More information on when <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
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>
++ <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>
Id: -201507150
PubDate: 2015-07-15
Section: microsoft subscriptions
Keyword: office
-Blurb: <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>
+Blurb: <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>
Id: -201507030
PubDate: 2015-07-03
@@ -1686,21 +1678,21 @@
Id: -201506261
PubDate: 2015-06-26
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: android app
+Keyword: android apps
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.privmetrics.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wisec2015.pdf";> A
study in 2015</a> found that 90% of the top-ranked gratis proprietary Android
apps contained recognizable tracking libraries. For the paid proprietary apps,
it was only 60%.</p>
+
+ <p>The article confusingly describes gratis apps as “free”, but
most of them are not in fact <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html"> free
software</a>. It also uses the ugly word “monetize”. A good
replacement for that word is “exploit”; nearly always that will fit
perfectly.</p>
Id: -201506260
PubDate: 2015-06-26
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: interference
+Keyword: oracle
Blurb: <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>
Id: -201506250
PubDate: 2015-06-25
-Section: apple jails censorship
-Keyword:
+Section: apple jails
+Keyword: apps censorship
Blurb: <p>Apple has banned iThing applications that show the confederate flag.
<a
href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/25/apple-confederate-flag_n_7663754.html";>
Not only those that use it as a symbol of racism</a>, but even strategic games
that use it to represent confederate army units fighting in the Civil War.</p>
+
+ <p>This ludicrous rigidity illustrates the point that Apple should not be
allowed to censor apps. Even if Apple carried out this act of censorship with
some care, it would still be wrong. Whether racism is bad, whether educating
people about drone attacks is bad, are not the real issue. Apple should not
have the power to impose its views about either of these questions, or any
other.</p>
@@ -1719,7 +1711,7 @@
+
+ <p>Thus, Windows is overt malware in regard to surveillance, as in other
issues.</p>
+
-+ <p>We can suppose Microsoft looks 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>
+
@@ -1734,14 +1726,14 @@
Id: -201505291
PubDate: 2015-05-29
Section: insecurity mobiles
-Keyword: app
-Blurb: <p><a
href="http://phys.org/news/2015-05-app-vulnerability-threatens-millions-users.html";>
Many smartphone apps use insecure authentication methods when storing your
personal data on remote servers.</a> This leaves personal information like
email addresses, passwords, and health information vulnerable. Because many of
these apps are proprietary it makes it hard to impossible to know which apps
are at risk.</p>
+Keyword: apps
+Blurb: <p><a
href="http://phys.org/news/2015-05-app-vulnerability-threatens-millions-users.html";>
Many smartphone apps use insecure authentication methods when storing your
personal data on remote servers</a>. This leaves personal information like
email addresses, passwords, and health information vulnerable. Because many of
these apps are proprietary it makes it hard to impossible to know which apps
are at risk.</p>
Id: -201505290
PubDate: 2015-05-29
Section:
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/05/verizon-fios-reps-know-what-tv-channels-you-watch/";>
Verizon cable TV snoops on what programs people watch, and even what they
wanted to record.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p><a
href="http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/05/verizon-fios-reps-know-what-tv-channels-you-watch/";>
Verizon cable TV snoops on what programs people watch, and even what they
wanted to record</a>.</p>
Id: -201505060
PubDate: 2015-05-06
@@ -1759,14 +1751,20 @@
Id: -201504300
PubDate: 2015-04-30
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: sabotage tvsets surveillance
+Keyword: vizio
Blurb: <p>Vizio <a
href="http://boingboing.net/2015/04/30/telescreen-watch-vizio-adds-s.html";>
used a firmware “upgrade” to make its TVs snoop on what users
watch</a>. The TVs did not do that when first sold.</p>
+Id: -201504091
+PubDate: 2015-04-09
+Section: back-doors other apple
+Keyword: macos sabotage
+Blurb: <p>Mac OS X had an <a
href="https://truesecdev.wordpress.com/2015/04/09/hidden-backdoor-api-to-root-privileges-in-apple-os-x/";>
intentional local back door for 4 years</a>, which could be exploited by
attackers to gain root privileges.</p>
+
Id: -201504090
PubDate: 2015-04-09
-Section: back-doors other insecurity apple macos
-Keyword:
+Section: sabotage
+Keyword: back-doors other apple macos
Blurb: <p>Mac OS X had an <a
href="https://truesecdev.wordpress.com/2015/04/09/hidden-backdoor-api-to-root-privileges-in-apple-os-x/";>
intentional local back door for 4 years</a>, which could be exploited by
attackers to gain root privileges.</p>
Id: -201504060
@@ -1820,14 +1818,14 @@
Id: -201412110
PubDate: 2014-12-11
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: apple jails
+Keyword: censorship
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/11/papers-please-game-ipad-nude-body-scans";>
More examples of Apple's arbitrary and inconsistent censorship</a>.</p>
Id: -201412040
PubDate: 2014-12-04
-Section: apple sabotage ithing
-Keyword: ipod
+Section: apple sabotage
+Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <p>Apple <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/04/apple-deleted-music-ipods-rivals-steve-jobs";>
deleted from iPods the music that users had got from internet music stores
that competed with iTunes</a>.</p>
Id: -201412010
@@ -1839,7 +1837,7 @@
Id: -201411260
PubDate: 2014-11-26
Section: surveillance mobiles
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>Many proprietary apps for mobile devices report which other apps the
user has installed. <a
href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/26/twitter-app-graph/";> Twitter is doing
this in a way that at least is visible and optional</a>. Not as bad as what the
others do.</p>
Id: -201411090
@@ -1860,26 +1858,26 @@
PubDate: 2014-10-30
PubDate: 2014-10-28
Section: surveillance apple macos
-Keyword: app system
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/10/30/how-one-mans-private-files-ended-up-on-apples-icloud-without-his-consent/";>
MacOS automatically sends to Apple servers unsaved documents being edited</a>.
The <a
href="https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2014/10/apple_copies_yo.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter/";>
things you have not decided to save are even more sensitive than the things
you have stored in files</a>.</p>
Id: -201410220
PubDate: 2014-10-22
Section: surveillance apple macos
-Keyword: system
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Apple admits the <a
href="http://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/spotlight-suggestions-in-os-x-yosemite-and-ios-are-you-staying-private/";>
spying in a search facility</a>, but there's a lot <a
href="https://github.com/fix-macosx/yosemite-phone-home";> more snooping that
Apple has not talked about</a>.</p>
Id: -201410200
PubDate: 2014-10-20
Section: surveillance apple macos
-Keyword: system
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Various operations in <a
href="http://lifehacker.com/safari-and-spotlight-can-send-data-to-apple-heres-how-1648453540";>
the latest MacOS send reports to Apple</a> servers.</p>
Id: -201410130
PubDate: 2014-10-13
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/10/nintendo-updates-take-wii-u-hostage-until-you-agree-new-legal-terms";>
Nintendo remotely sabotaged all Wiis, making them refuse to work unless the
user agrees to a new EULA.</a></p>
+Section: sabotage games
+Keyword: nintendo wii
+Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/10/nintendo-updates-take-wii-u-hostage-until-you-agree-new-legal-terms";>
Nintendo remotely sabotaged all Wiis, making them refuse to work unless the
user agrees to a new EULA</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>We can be quite sure this EULA is unjust because injustice is the only
motive for imposing an EULA.</p>
@@ -1911,8 +1909,8 @@
PubDate: 2014-05-08
PubDate: 2014-09-17
PubDate: 2014-09-22
-Section: back-doors surveillance apple
-Keyword: ios iphone
+Section: surveillance apple
+Keyword: ithings back-doors
Blurb: <p>Apple can, and regularly does, <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/05/new-guidelines-outline-what-iphone-data-apple-can-give-to-police/";>
remotely extract some data from iPhones for the state</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>This may have improved with <a
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/2014/09/17/2612af58-3ed2-11e4-b03f-de718edeb92f_story.html";>
iOS 8 security improvements</a>; but <a
href="https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/09/22/apple-data/";> not as much
as Apple claims</a>.</p>
@@ -1944,8 +1942,8 @@
Id: -201405250
PubDate: 2014-02-07
PubDate: 2014-05-25
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: apple jails
+Keyword: apps censorship
Blurb: <p>Apple used this censorship power in 2014 to <a
href="http://boingboing.net/2014/02/07/apple-yanks-last-remaining-bit.html";>
ban all bitcoin apps</a> for the iThings for a time. It also <a
href="http://www.gamespot.com/articles/apple-removes-game-about-growing-marijuana-from-app-store/1100-6419864/";>
banned a game about growing marijuana</a>, while permitting games about other
crimes such as killing people. Perhaps Apple considers killing more acceptable
than marijuana.</p>
Id: -201405200
@@ -1956,7 +1954,7 @@
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Spyware in <a
href="http://doctorbeet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lg-smart-tvs-logging-usb-filenames-and.html";>
LG “smart” TVs</a> reports what the user watches, and the switch
to turn this off has no effect. (The fact that the transmission reports a 404
error really means nothing; the server could save that data anyway.)</p>
+
-+ <p>Even worse, it <a
href="http://rambles.renney.me/2013/11/lg-tv-logging-filenames-from-network-folders/";>
snoops on other devices on the user's local network.</a></p>
++ <p>Even worse, it <a
href="http://rambles.renney.me/2013/11/lg-tv-logging-filenames-from-network-folders/";>
snoops on other devices on the user's local network</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>LG later said it had installed a patch to stop this, but any product
could spy this way.</p>
+
@@ -1965,7 +1963,7 @@
Id: -201405190
PubDate: 2014-05-19
Section: insecurity tethers
-Keyword: app
+Keyword: apps
Blurb: <p>An app to prevent “identity theft” (access to personal
data) by storing users' data on a special server <a
href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/05/id-theft-protector-lifelock-deletes-user-data-over-concerns-that-app-isnt-safe/";>was
deactivated by its developer</a> which had discovered a security flaw.</p>
+
+ <p>That developer seems to be conscientious about protecting personal data
from third parties in general, but it can't protect that data from the state.
Quite the contrary: confiding your data to someone else's server, if not first
encrypted by you with free software, undermines your rights.</p>
@@ -1978,9 +1976,9 @@
Id: -201405110
PubDate: 2014-05-11
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <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>
+Section: sabotage
+Keyword: lg tvsets surveillance
+Blurb: <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>
Id: -201405080
PubDate: 2014-05-08
@@ -2028,8 +2026,8 @@
Id: -201402070
PubDate: 2014-02-07
-Section: apple jails censorship
-Keyword:
+Section: apple jails
+Keyword: censorship
Blurb: <p>Apple rejected an app that displayed the locations of US drone
assassinations, giving various excuses. Each time the developers fixed one
“problem”, Apple complained about another. After the fifth
rejection, Apple <a
href="http://mashable.com/2014/02/07/apple-app-tracks-drone-strikes/";> admitted
it was censoring the app based on the subject matter</a>.</p>
Id: -201401280
@@ -2044,7 +2042,7 @@
Id: -201401190
PubDate: 2014-01-19
-Section: games sabotage
+Section: games interference
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Some proprietary <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/19/apple-talking-cats-in-app-purchases";>
games lure children to spend their parents' money</a>.</p>
@@ -2052,17 +2050,17 @@
PubDate: 2014-01-15
Section:
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/asian-technology/japanese-government-warns-baidu-ime-is-spying-on-users/";>
Baidu's Japanese-input and Chinese-input apps spy on users.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p><a
href="https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/asian-technology/japanese-government-warns-baidu-ime-is-spying-on-users/";>
Baidu's Japanese-input and Chinese-input apps spy on users</a>.</p>
Id: -201401101
PubDate: 2014-01-10
Section: surveillance apple macos
-Keyword: system
+Keyword:
Blurb: <p><a
href="http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/privacy-advocates-worry-over-new-apple-iphone-tracking-feature-161836223.html";>
Spotlight search</a> sends users' search terms to Apple.</p>
Id: -201401100
PubDate: 2014-01-10
-Section: surveillance apple ithing
+Section: surveillance apple ithings
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>The <a class="not-a-duplicate"
href="http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/privacy-advocates-worry-over-new-apple-iphone-tracking-feature-161836223.html";>
iBeacon</a> lets stores determine exactly where the iThing is, and get other
info too.</p>
@@ -2070,7 +2068,7 @@
PubDate: 2013-12-30
Section:
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-30/how-nsa-hacks-your-iphone-presenting-dropout-jeep";>
Either Apple helps the NSA snoop on all the data in an iThing, or it is
totally incompetent.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-30/how-nsa-hacks-your-iphone-presenting-dropout-jeep";>
Either Apple helps the NSA snoop on all the data in an iThing, or it is
totally incompetent</a>.</p>
Id: -201312290
PubDate: 2013-12-29
@@ -2084,13 +2082,13 @@
PubDate: 2013-12-27
Section:
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>The nonfree Snapchat app's principal purpose is to restrict the use
of data on the user's computer, but it does surveillance too: <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/27/snapchat-may-be-exposed-hackers";>
it tries to get the user's list of other people's phone numbers.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p>The nonfree Snapchat app's principal purpose is to restrict the use
of data on the user's computer, but it does surveillance too: <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/27/snapchat-may-be-exposed-hackers";>
it tries to get the user's list of other people's phone numbers</a>.</p>
Id: -201312060
PubDate: 2013-12-06
Section:
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>The Brightest Flashlight app <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/dec/06/android-app-50m-downloads-sent-data-advertisers";>
sends user data, including geolocation, for use by companies.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p>The Brightest Flashlight app <a
href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/dec/06/android-app-50m-downloads-sent-data-advertisers";>
sends user data, including geolocation, for use by companies</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>The FTC criticized this app because it asked the user to approve sending
personal data to the app developer but did not ask about sending it to other
companies. This shows the weakness of the reject-it-if-you-dislike-snooping
“solution” to surveillance: why should a flashlight app send any
information to anyone? A free software flashlight app would not.</p>
@@ -2103,8 +2101,8 @@
Id: -201311300
PubDate: 2013-11-30
Section: back-doors universal
-Keyword: app myfreeproxy pua
-Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.techienews.co.uk/973462/bitcoin-miners-bundled-pups-legitimate-applications-backed-eula/";>
Some applications come with MyFreeProxy, which is a universal back door that
can download programs and run them.</a></p>
+Keyword: apps myfreeproxy pua
+Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.techienews.co.uk/973462/bitcoin-miners-bundled-pups-legitimate-applications-backed-eula/";>
Some applications come with MyFreeProxy, which is a universal back door that
can download programs and run them</a>.</p>
Id: -201311130
PubDate: 2013-11-13
@@ -2165,9 +2163,9 @@
Id: -201309051
PubDate: 2013-09-05
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <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>
+Section: sabotage insecurity
+Keyword: encryption
+Blurb: <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>
Id: -201309050
PubDate: 2013-09-05
@@ -2187,11 +2185,11 @@
PubDate: 2013-08-23
Section: back-doors other microsoft windows
Keyword: tpm
-Blurb: <p>The German government <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160310201616/http://drleonardcoldwell.com/2013/08/23/leaked-german-government-warns-key-entities-not-to-use-windows-8-linked-to-nsa/";>
veers away from Windows 8 computers with TPM 2.0 due to potential back door
capabilities of the TPM 2.0 chip</a>.</p>
+Blurb: <p>The German government <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160310201616/http://drleonardcoldwell.com/2013/08/23/leaked-german-government-warns-key-entities-not-to-use-windows-8-linked-to-nsa/";>veers
away from Windows 8 computers with TPM 2.0 due to potential back door
capabilities of the TPM 2.0 chip</a>.</p>
Id: -201308080
PubDate: 2013-08-08
-Section:
+Section: apple surveillance ithings
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>The iThing also <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160313215042/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/08/08/ios7_tracking_now_its_a_favourite_feature/";>
tells Apple its geolocation</a> by default, though that can be turned off.</p>
@@ -2199,7 +2197,7 @@
PubDate: 2013-08-06
Section: insecurity
Keyword: disk
-Blurb: <p><a href="http://spritesmods.com/?art=hddhack&page=6";>
Replaceable nonfree software in disk drives can be written by a nonfree
program.</a> This makes any system vulnerable to persistent attacks that normal
forensics won't detect.</p>
+Blurb: <p><a href="http://spritesmods.com/?art=hddhack&page=6";>
Replaceable nonfree software in disk drives can be written by a nonfree
program</a>. This makes any system vulnerable to persistent attacks that normal
forensics won't detect.</p>
Id: -201308040
PubDate: 2013-08-04
@@ -2242,7 +2240,7 @@
Id: -201307111
PubDate: 2013-07-11
Section: back-doors other appliances
-Keyword: hp lefthand system
+Keyword: hp lefthand
Blurb: <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 installation of software
changes, a change could be installed that would give access to the customer's
data.</p>
Id: -201307110
@@ -2257,7 +2255,7 @@
PubDate: 2013-06-10
Section: microsoft surveillance windows
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Spyware in older versions of Windows: <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160313105805/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/02/28/windows_update_keeps_tabs/";>
Windows Update snoops on the user</a>. <a
href="https://www.infoworld.com/article/2611451/microsoft-windows/a-look-at-the-black-underbelly-of-windows-8-1--blue-.html";>
Windows 8.1 snoops on local searches</a>. And there's a <a
href="http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article40836.html";> secret NSA key in
Windows</a>, whose functions we don't know.
+Blurb: <p>Spyware in older versions of Windows: <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160313105805/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/02/28/windows_update_keeps_tabs/";>
Windows Update snoops on the user</a>. <a
href="https://www.infoworld.com/article/2611451/microsoft-windows/a-look-at-the-black-underbelly-of-windows-8-1--blue-.html";>
Windows 8.1 snoops on local searches</a>. And there's a <a
href="http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article40836.html";> secret NSA key in
Windows</a>, whose functions we don't know.</p>
Id: -201307000
PubDate: 2013-07
@@ -2269,7 +2267,7 @@
PubDate: 2013-06-22
Section: microsoft sabotage
Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/blogs/open-enterprise/windows-xp-end-of-an-era-end-of-an-error-3569489/";>
Microsoft cut off security fixes for Windows XP, except to some big users that
pay exorbitantly.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/blogs/open-enterprise/windows-xp-end-of-an-era-end-of-an-error-3569489/";>
Microsoft cut off security fixes for Windows XP, except to some big users that
pay exorbitantly</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Microsoft is going to <a
href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/security/3605515/more-than-half-of-all-ie-users-face-patch-axe-in-10-months/";>
cut off support for some Internet Explorer versions</a> in the same way.</p>
+
@@ -2279,13 +2277,13 @@
PubDate: 2013-06-22
Section: microsoft sabotage
Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <p><a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130622044225/http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2013/06/how-can-any-company-ever-trust-microsoft-again/index.htm";>
Microsoft informs the NSA of bugs in Windows before fixing them.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p><a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130622044225/http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/open-enterprise/2013/06/how-can-any-company-ever-trust-microsoft-again/index.htm";>
Microsoft informs the NSA of bugs in Windows before fixing them</a>.</p>
Id: -201306140
PubDate: 2013-06-14
Section: cars surveillance
Keyword: tesla
-Blurb: <p>Tesla cars allow the company to extract data remotely and determine
the car's location at any time. (See <a
href="http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/tmi_privacy_statement_external_6-14-2013_v2.pdf";>
Section 2, paragraphs b and c.</a>). The company says it doesn't store this
information, but if the state orders it to get the data and hand it over, the
state can store it.</p>
+Blurb: <p>Tesla cars allow the company to extract data remotely and determine
the car's location at any time. (See Section 2, paragraphs b and c of the <a
href="http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/tmi_privacy_statement_external_6-14-2013_v2.pdf";>
privacy statement</a>.) The company says it doesn't store this information,
but if the state orders it to get the data and hand it over, the state can
store it.</p>
Id: -201305100
PubDate: 2013-05-10
@@ -2324,7 +2322,7 @@
Id: -201302150
PubDate: 2013-02-15
Section: surveillance mobiles google
-Keyword: android app
+Keyword: android apps
Blurb: <p>Google Play intentionally sends app developers <a
href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/google-play-store-policy-raises-privacy-concerns-331116";>
the personal details of users that install the app</a>.</p>
+
+ <p>Merely asking the “consent” of users is not enough to
legitimize actions like this. At this point, most users have stopped reading
the “Terms and Conditions” that spell out what they are
“consenting” to. Google should clearly and honestly identify the
information it collects on users, instead of hiding it in an obscurely worded
EULA.</p>
@@ -2334,15 +2332,15 @@
Id: -201301280
PubDate: 2013-01-22
PubDate: 2013-01-28
-Section: cars insecurity
-Keyword:
+Section: sabotage
+Keyword: oracle plugin
Blurb: <p>Oracle's nonfree Java plug-in for browsers <a
href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/a-close-look-at-how-oracle-installs-deceptive-software-with-java-updates/";>
sneakily installs other annoying proprietary software</a>.</p>
+
+ <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>
++ <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>
Id: -201212290
PubDate: 2012-12-29
@@ -2428,12 +2426,12 @@
PubDate: 2012-08-21
Section: google website surveillance
Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Many web sites report all their visitors to Google by using the
Google Analytics service, which <a
href="http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/434164/google_analytics_breaks_norwegian_privacy_laws_local_agency_said/";>
tells Google the IP address and the page that was visited.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p>Many web sites report all their visitors to Google by using the
Google Analytics service, which <a
href="http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/434164/google_analytics_breaks_norwegian_privacy_laws_local_agency_said/";>
tells Google the IP address and the page that was visited</a>.</p>
Id: -201205280
PubDate: 2012-05-28
-Section:
-Keyword:
+Section: apple tyrant
+Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <p>The Apple iThings are tyrant devices. There is a port of Android to
the iThings, but installing it requires <a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150405073541/http://www.idroidproject.org:80/wiki/Status";>
finding a bug or “exploit”</a> to make it possible to install a
different system.</p>
Id: -201204280
@@ -2450,7 +2448,7 @@
Id: -201200000
PubDate: 2012
-Section:
+Section: surveillance webpage
Keyword:
Blurb: <p>Many web sites try to collect users' address books (the user's list
of other people's phone numbers or email addresses). This violates the privacy
of those other people.</p>
@@ -2466,13 +2464,13 @@
PubDate: 2011-11-17
Section: surveillance mobiles
Keyword: carrier-iq
-Blurb: <p>Some manufacturers add a <a
href="http://androidsecuritytest.com/features/logs-and-services/loggers/carrieriq/";>
hidden general surveillance package such as Carrier IQ.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p>Some manufacturers add a <a
href="http://androidsecuritytest.com/features/logs-and-services/loggers/carrieriq/";>
hidden general surveillance package such as Carrier IQ</a>.</p>
Id: -201110110
PubDate: 2011-10-11
Section: microsoft tyrants mobiles
Keyword: windows
-Blurb: <p><a href="https://fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/";>
Mobile devices that come with Windows 8 are tyrants.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p><a href="https://fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/";>
Mobile devices that come with Windows 8 are tyrants</a>.</p>
Id: -201110040
PubDate: 2011-10-04
@@ -2498,7 +2496,7 @@
PubDate: 2010-06-25
Section: back-doors install-delete google mobiles
Keyword: system android
-Blurb: <p>In Android, <a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2506557/security0/google-throws--kill-switch--on-android-phones.html";>
Google has a back door to remotely delete apps.</a> (It was in a program
called GTalkService, which seems since then to have been merged into Google
Play.)</p>
+Blurb: <p>In Android, <a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2506557/security0/google-throws--kill-switch--on-android-phones.html";>
Google has a back door to remotely delete apps</a>. (It was in a program
called GTalkService, which seems since then to have been merged into Google
Play.)</p>
+
+ <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>
+
@@ -2508,19 +2506,19 @@
PubDate: 2011-02-25
Section: google drm mobiles
Keyword: android
-Blurb: <p>Android <a
href="https://developer.android.com/reference/android/drm/package-summary.html";>
contains facilities specifically to support DRM.</a></p>
+Blurb: <p>Android <a
href="https://developer.android.com/reference/android/drm/package-summary.html";>
contains facilities specifically to support DRM</a>.</p>
Id: -201011220
PubDate: 2010-11-22
-Section: back-doors alter-data apple ithing
-Keyword: ios iphone system
+Section: back-doors alter-data apple
+Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <p>The iPhone has a back door for <a
href="http://www.npr.org/2010/11/22/131511381/wipeout-when-your-company-kills-your-iphone";>
remote wipe</a>. It's not always enabled, but users are led into enabling it
without understanding.</p>
Id: -201003300
PubDate: 2010-03-30
-Section:
-Keyword:
-Blurb: <p>Sony <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/sony-steals-feature-from-your-playstation-3";>
sabotaged the Playstation 3</a> with a firmware downgrade that removed the
feature that allowed users to run GNU/Linux on it.</p>
+Section: sabotage games
+Keyword: sony playstation
+Blurb: <p>Sony <a
href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/sony-steals-feature-from-your-playstation-3";>sabotaged
the Playstation 3</a> with a firmware downgrade that removed the feature that
allowed users to run GNU/Linux on it.</p>
+
+ <p>Sony subsequently sent police after Geohot, after he cracked the code
that blocked users from changing the firmware, and we responded by calling for
a <a href="http://boycottsony.org";> boycott of Sony</a>.</p>
+
@@ -2556,8 +2554,8 @@
Id: -200808110
PubDate: 2008-08-11
-Section: back-doors install-delete apple ithing
-Keyword: ios iphone app system
+Section: back-doors install-delete apple
+Keyword: ithings
Blurb: <p>The iPhone has a back door <a
href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3358134/Apples-Jobs-confirms-iPhone-kill-switch.html";>
that allows Apple to remotely delete apps</a> which Apple considers
“inappropriate”. Jobs said it's OK for Apple to have this power
because of course we can trust Apple.</p>
Id: -200803040
@@ -2576,15 +2574,15 @@
Id: -200709270
PubDate: 2007-09-27
-Section: apple sabotage ithing
-Keyword: iphone
-Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2541250/apple-mac/update--apple-plays-hardball--upgrade--bricks--unlocked-iphones.html";>
An Apple firmware “upgrade” bricked iPhones that had been
unlocked.</a> The “upgrade” also deactivated applications not
approved by <a href="/proprietary/proprietary-jails.html">Apple censorship</a>.
All this was apparently intentional.</p>
+Section: apple sabotage
+Keyword: ithings firmware
+Blurb: <p><a
href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2541250/apple-mac/update--apple-plays-hardball--upgrade--bricks--unlocked-iphones.html";>
An Apple firmware “upgrade” bricked iPhones that had been
unlocked</a>. The “upgrade” also deactivated applications not
approved by <a href="/proprietary/proprietary-jails.html">Apple censorship</a>.
All this was apparently intentional.</p>
Id: -200708131
PubDate: 2007-08-13
Section: drm microsoft
Keyword: windows apple
-Blurb: <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2007/08/aacs-tentacles/";> DRM
in Windows</a>, introduced to cater to <a href="#bluray"> Bluray</a> disks.
(The article talks about how the same malware would later be introduced in
MacOS. That had not been done at the time, but it was done subsequently.)</p>
+Blurb: <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2007/08/aacs-tentacles/";> DRM
in Windows</a>, introduced to cater to <a href="#bluray">Bluray</a> disks.
(The article talks about how the same malware would later be introduced in
MacOS. That had not been done at the time, but it was done subsequently.)</p>
Id: -200708130
PubDate: 2007-08-13
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/15
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/16
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/16
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/17
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs...,
Therese Godefroy <=
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/23
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/24
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/26
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/26
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/26
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/27
- www/server/staging/proprietary/rec propr-blurbs..., Therese Godefroy, 2018/09/30