# LANGUAGE translation of https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/all.html
# Copyright (C) YEAR Free Software Foundation, Inc.
# This file is distributed under the same license as the original article.
# FIRST AUTHOR <EMAIL@ADDRESS>, YEAR.
#
#, fuzzy
msgid ""
msgstr ""
"Project-Id-Version: all.html\n"
"POT-Creation-Date: 2025-05-09 11:27+0000\n"
"PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n"
"Last-Translator: FULL NAME <EMAIL@ADDRESS>\n"
"Language-Team: LANGUAGE <LL@li.org>\n"
"Language: \n"
"MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
"Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n"
"Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n"

#. type: Content of: <title>
msgid "Additions to the Malware Section - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><a>
msgid "<a id=\"side-menu-button\" class=\"switch\" href=\"#navlinks\">"
msgstr ""

#. type: Attribute 'title' of: <div><a><img>
msgid "Section contents"
msgstr ""

#. type: Attribute 'alt' of: <div><a><img>
msgid "&nbsp;[Section contents]&nbsp;"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div>
msgid "</a>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><p><a>
msgid "<a href=\"/\">"
msgstr ""

#. type: Attribute 'title' of: <div><p><a><img>
msgid "GNU Home"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><p>
msgid "</a>&nbsp;/ <a href=\"/proprietary/proprietary.html\">Malware</a>&nbsp;/"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><h2>
msgid "Additions to the Malware Section"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><p>
msgid ""
"These are all the malware items that have been added to this directory since "
"2018, in reverse chronological order. (In some cases, the latest reference "
"was updated after the item was added.)"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><small>
msgid "<small class='date-tag'>Added:"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><small>
msgid "&mdash; Latest reference:"
msgstr ""

#. #echo
#. encoding='none' var='PUB' 
#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li>
msgid "</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.howtogeek.com/803598/app-is-damaged-and-cant-be-opened/\"> "
"Apple has been labeling various third-party files and programs as "
"&ldquo;damaged&rdquo;</a>, preventing users from opening them, and implying "
"that software from third-party sources is dangerous. While these "
"restrictions can be circumvented, they violate users' freedom to do their "
"computing as they wish. Most of the time, the purpose of warnings such as "
"&ldquo;damaged&rdquo; is to scare users into sticking with Apple's "
"proprietary programs for no good reason."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft is <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/new-windows-11-build-makes-mandatory-microsoft-account-sign-in-even-more-mandatory/\"> "
"tightening the chains that force Windows useds to sign into their Microsoft "
"account</a>&#8239;[*], thus identifying themselves. We suspect this is an "
"intentional strategy to avoid inspiring a lot of resistance all at once: "
"leave openings to escape identification, then gradually close them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid "Enough is enough!"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"[*] <small>Why &ldquo;useds&rdquo;? Because running Windows is not you using "
"Windows; it is Windows using you.</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The company making a &ldquo;smart&rdquo; bassinet called Snoo has <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/20/24202166/snoo-premium-subscription-happiest-baby\"> "
"locked the most advanced functionalities of the Snoo behind a "
"paywall</a>. This unexpected change mainly affects users who received the "
"appliance as a gift, or bought it second-hand on the assumption that all "
"these functionalities would be available to them, as they used to be. This "
"is another example of the deceptive behavior of proprietary software "
"developers who take advantage of their power over users to change rules at "
"will."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Another malicious feature of the Snoo is the fact that users need to create "
"an account with the company, which thus has access to personal data, "
"location (SSID), appliance log, etc., as well as manual notes about baby "
"history."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Nintendo has devoted a lot of effort to <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/07/nintendo-reportedly-rolling-out-new-more-hack-proof-switch-hardware/\"> "
"preventing users from installing third-party software on its Switch "
"consoles</a>. These are now full-blown jails."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple <a "
"href=\"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/apple-pulls-icloud-end-to-end-encryption-feature-in-the-uk/\"> "
"stopped offering iCloud end-to-end encryption in the UK</a> after the UK "
"government demanded <a "
"href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/02/07/apple-encryption-backdoor-uk/\"> "
"worldwide access to encrypted user data</a>. This is one more proof that "
"storing your own data &ldquo;in the cloud&rdquo; puts it at risk."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Canon is <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/canon-charges-50-per-year-to-use-a-900-camera-as-a-functional-webcam/\"> "
"preventing customers from using one of its cameras as a webcam</a> unless "
"they create an account on the company's server, and pay an additional "
"subscription. This unjust practice could be eliminated if the camera "
"firmware were free (as in freedom)."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/zero-click-windows-tcp-ip-rce-impacts-all-systems-with-ipv6-enabled-patch-now/\"> "
"A critical vulnerability in Windows systems that support IPv6</a> was "
"discovered in 2024, <a "
"href=\"https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38063\"> "
"16 years after the first affected system</a> was released. Unless the "
"relevant patch is applied, an attacker can remotely execute arbitrary code "
"on these systems. Microsoft considers exploits &ldquo;likely.&rdquo;"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The same sort of vulnerability in a free/libre operating system would "
"probably be discovered sooner, since many more people would be able to look "
"at the source code."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Pixel 9 &ldquo;smart&rdquo;phone <a "
"href=\"https://cybernews.com/security/google-pixel-9-phone-beams-data-and-awaits-commands/\"> "
"frequently updates Google servers with its location and current "
"configuration</a> along with personally identifiable data, raising concerns "
"about user privacy. Moreover, it communicates with services that are not in "
"use, and periodically attempts to download experimental, possibly insecure "
"software. The system does not inform the user that it is doing all this."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"There is hope, however: it is possible to <a "
"href=\"https://doc.e.foundation/devices\"> replace the original Android "
"operating system with a deGoogled version</a> in Pixel phones up to 8a, and "
"in phones from many other brands. No doubt that the Pixel 9 will be "
"supported soon."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid "Bungie's Destiny 2 is plagued with two major flaws:"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li>
msgid ""
"Like all proprietary tethered games, <a "
"href=\"https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/articles/is-destiny-2-down-how-to-check-server-maintenance-and-downtime\"> "
"it can't be played when the company's servers are offline</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li>
msgid ""
"Ever since Bungie chose BattlEye as an anti-cheat program, Destiny&nbsp;2 "
"has been <a href=\"https://areweanticheatyet.com/\"> incompatible with "
"GNU/Linux</a> <small>[this page can't be viewed without "
"JavaScript]</small>. Bungie forces Steam Deck users to <a "
"href=\"https://www.pcguide.com/steam-deck/play-destiny-2/\"> replace SteamOS "
"with Windows, or play from Edge browser</a>.  This doesn't have to be so, as "
"several other games that use BattlEye do support GNU/Linux systems. Rather "
"than doing the necessary adjustments, Bungie forces users to run nonfree "
"software in order to keep an absolute control over them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google's ad platform enabled advertisers to <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/01/now-even-youtube-serves-ads-with-cpu-draining-cryptocurrency-miners/\"> "
"run cryptocurrency miner code on the computers of YouTube users through "
"proprietary JavaScript</a>. Some people noticed this, and the outrage made "
"Google remove the miners, but the number of affected users was probably very "
"high."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/02/on-may-5-microsofts-skype-will-shut-down-for-good/\"> "
"Microsoft is shutting down Skype</a> on May 5th, 2025. As with other "
"tethered proprietary programs, users have to rely on servers that are "
"controlled by the developer. When these servers shut down, the service "
"disappears. Instead of migrating to the service that Microsoft suggests as a "
"replacement, Skype users should regain control of their communications by "
"switching to one that is based on free software.  <a "
"href=\"https://jitsi.org/jitsi-meet/\">Jitsi Meet</a>, for example, is "
"appropriate for small video meetings. Anyone can set up a Jitsi server and "
"let other people use it, and indeed many of these are available around the "
"world."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://proton.me/blog/outlook-is-microsofts-new-data-collection-service\"> "
"Outlook has become a &ldquo;data collection and ad delivery "
"service&rdquo;</a>. Since Outlook is now integrated with Microsoft "
"&ldquo;cloud&rdquo; services, and doesn't support end-to-end encryption, the "
"company has full access to users' emails, contacts, and calendar "
"events. Microsoft may also <a "
"href=\"https://www.cyberkendra.com/2023/11/new-outlook-update-raises-privacy.html\"> "
"retrieve credentials associated with any third-party services</a> that are "
"synchronized with Outlook. This trove of personal data enables Microsoft, as "
"well as its commercial partners, to flood users with targeted ads, and "
"possibly to train &ldquo;artificial intelligences.&rdquo; Even worse, this "
"data is available to any government that can force Microsoft to hand it "
"over."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Ubisoft is facing a fraud lawsuit for <a "
"href=\"https://www.polygon.com/gaming/476979/ubisoft-the-crew-shut-down-lawsuit-class-action\"> "
"shutting down the proprietary video game The Crew, which was tethered to its "
"servers</a>. As this game can't be played offline, people who used to think "
"they owned a copy of it are now realizing they only bought a license that "
"could be revoked at will by the developer."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This is one more example of what tethering of a proprietary program leads "
"to. If The Crew were free software, its users would be able to set up "
"another server, and keep on playing."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In its default configuration, Windows 11 now <a "
"href=\"https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-11-now-turns-on-onedrive-folder-backup-without-your-permission/\"> "
"uploads users' files and personal information to Microsoft's "
"&ldquo;cloud&rdquo;</a> without asking permission to do so. This is "
"presented as a convenient backup method, but if the allotted storage "
"capacity is exceeded, the user will need to buy more space, increasing "
"Microsoft's profit."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"However, this small profit is probably not the company's major reason for "
"making cloud storage the default. Here is an excerpt from the <a "
"href=\"https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/servicesagreement\"> Microsoft "
"Services agreement</a> (Section 2b):"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><blockquote><p>
msgid ""
"<i>To the extent necessary to provide the Services to you and others, to "
"protect you and the Services, and to improve Microsoft products and "
"services, you grant to Microsoft a worldwide and royalty-free intellectual "
"property license to use Your Content, for example, to make copies of, "
"retain, transmit, reformat, display, and distribute via communication tools "
"Your Content on the Services.</i>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"We strongly suspect that the backed-up material is used to feed Microsoft's "
"greedy &ldquo;AI.&rdquo; In addition, it is most likely analysed to better "
"profile users in order to flood them with targeted ads, thereby generating "
"more profit."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Users, on the other hand, are at the mercy of any entity that demands their "
"data, let alone of any cracker that breaks into Microsoft's servers. They "
"<em>must</em> escape from this sick environment, and install a sane <a "
"href=\"https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html\"> free/libre "
"system</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Windows Defender <a "
"href=\"https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-defender-deleted-my-download-without/0b4211cf-80f7-47c7-8ea0-675785a0003c\"> "
"deletes downloaded files that it considers malware</a> as soon as they are "
"saved to disk, without requesting permission to do so. Many angry users have "
"complained about this unacceptable behavior over the last few years, and "
"even suggested fixes, but Microsoft has ignored them. It is high time for "
"Windows users to escape Microsoft's tyranny by migrating to a free/libre "
"system."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"As of 2021, <a "
"href=\"https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-40-apps-preinstalled-electronic-devices/32532513.html\"> "
"preinstallation of Russian-made proprietary software has been mandatory</a> "
"on new computers and &ldquo;smart&rdquo; devices sold in Russia, under "
"threat of a fine for the retailer, and <a "
"href=\"https://tadviser.com/index.php/Article:Pre-installation_of_Russian_software_on_smartphones_and_computers\"> "
"the list of mandatory applications keeps growing</a>. This gives the "
"government a convenient way to <a "
"href=\"https://www.article19.org/resources/russia-pre-installation-of-apps-matters-for-free-speech/\"> "
"censor information, spy on people's online activity, and restrict free "
"speech</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In its terms of service, Adobe gives itself permission to <a "
"href=\"https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/adobe-defends-changes-in-its-terms-of-service-amid-gen-ai-explosion/\"> "
"spy on material that people upload to its servers</a>, supposedly for "
"moderation purposes. In spite of Adobe's denial, we can expect that sooner "
"or later it will use this material to train its so-called &ldquo;artificial "
"intelligence,&rdquo; and will claim that by agreeing to the terms of service "
"users gave it the right to do so."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft has started to <a "
"href=\"https://www.cnet.com/tech/who-wants-ads-in-their-windows-11-start-menu-heres-how-to-turn-them-off/\"> "
"show ads in the &ldquo;Recommended&rdquo; section of the Windows&nbsp;11 "
"Start menu</a>. Previously, this section only included recently used "
"documents and images. Now it also contains the icons of apps Microsoft wants "
"to advertise, in the hope that the user will click on one of them, and buy "
"the app. So far, the user can disable the ads, but this doesn't make them "
"more legitimate."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Windows Recall is a feature of Microsoft's Copilot tool that comes "
"preinstalled on AI-specialized computers. <a "
"href=\"https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/Privacy-and-security-risks-surrounding-Microsoft-Recall\"> "
"Recall records everything users do on their computer</a> and allows them to "
"search the recordings, but it has numerous security flaws and poses a risk "
"to privacy. As Recall cannot be completely uninstalled, disabling it doesn't "
"eliminate the risk because it can be reactivated by malware or "
"misconfiguration."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft says that <a "
"href=\"https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy-and-control-over-your-recall-experience-d404f672-7647-41e5-886c-a3c59680af15\"> "
"Recall will not take screenshots of digitally restricted "
"media</a>. Meanwhile, it stores sensitive user information such as passwords "
"and bank account numbers, showing that whereas Microsoft worries somewhat "
"about corporate interests, it couldn't care less about user privacy."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In 2019, <a "
"href=\"https://chromestory.com/2019/07/disable-pull-to-refresh-on-chrome-for-android/\"> "
"Google revoked users' ability to turn off the &ldquo;pull-to-refresh&rdquo; "
"gesture in Chrome for Android</a>. Despite <a "
"href=\"https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/8152831\"> thousands of "
"protests by frustrated users</a>, Google has not reverted its "
"decision. Proprietary software developers are known for ignoring users' "
"requests in favor of their own gain and convenience. Only free software "
"gives users control over their own computing."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Eclypsium <a "
"href=\"https://eclypsium.com/blog/supply-chain-risk-from-gigabyte-app-center-backdoor/\"> "
"discovered an insecure universal back door</a> on many computers using "
"Gigabyte mainboards. Gigabyte designed their nonfree firmware so they could "
"add a program to Windows to download additional software from the Internet, "
"and run it behind the user's back."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"To add injury to injury, the back-door program was insecure, and opened ways "
"for crackers to run their own programs on the affected systems, also behind "
"the user's back. Gigabyte's &ldquo;<a "
"href=\"https://www.gigabyte.com/Press/News/2091\">solution</a>&rdquo; was to "
"ensure the back door would only run programs from Gigabyte."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In this case, the back door required the connivance of Windows accepting the "
"program, and running it behind the user's back. Free operating systems "
"rightly ignore such &ldquo;Greek gifts,&rdquo; so users of GNU (including "
"GNU/Linux) are safe from this particular back door, even on affected "
"hardware."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Nonfree software does not make your computer secure&mdash;it does the "
"opposite: it prevents you from trying to secure it. When nonfree programs "
"are required for booting and impossible to replace, they are, in effect, a "
"low-level rootkit. All the things that the industry has done to make its "
"power over you secure against you also protect firmware-level rootkits "
"against you."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Instead of allowing Intel, AMD, Apple and perhaps ARM to impose security "
"through tyranny, we should demand laws that require them to allow users to "
"install their choice of startup software and make available the information "
"needed to develop such. Think of this as right-to-repair at the "
"initialization stage."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>Note: Eclypsium at least mentions the problem of &ldquo;unwanted "
"behavior within official firmware,&rdquo; but does not seem to recognize "
"that the only real solution is for firmware to be free, so users can fix "
"these problems without having to rely on the vendor.</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google is <a "
"href=\"https://slate.com/technology/2025/01/google-gemini-ai-workspace-default-opt-in.html\"> "
"forcing its bullshit generator, Gemini, on many users of Gmail</a> without "
"asking them, and not even offering the users a way to deactivate it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Workplace IT managers, whose employees are forced to use Gmail, can get it "
"turned off after a laborious procedure, followed by waiting&mdash;the "
"darkest of dark patterns."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Kia cars were built with a back door that enabled the company's server to "
"locate them and take control of them. The car owner had access to these "
"controls through the Kia server. That the car owner had such control is not "
"objectionable. However, that Kia itself had such control is Orwellian, and "
"ought to be illegal. The icing on the Orwellian cake is that the server had "
"a security fault which <a href=\"https://samcurry.net/hacking-kia\">allowed "
"absolutely anyone to activate those controls</a> for any Kia car."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Many people will be outraged at that security bug, but this was presumably "
"an accident. The fact that Kia had such control over cars after selling them "
"to customers is what outrages us, and that must have been intentional on "
"Kia's part."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/nov/03/addicted-to-love-how-dating-apps-exploit-their-users\">Dating "
"apps exploit their users</a>; fundamental features require an expensive "
"subscription, and they are designed to be addictive."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"BMW has <a "
"href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/alistaircharlton/2023/09/07/bmw-drops-controversial-heated-seats-subscription-to-refocus-on-software-services/\"> "
"retreated from making car owners pay for a subscription to the heated seats "
"feature</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid "Customers rejected it. Bravo for them!"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Instead BMW plans to require subscriptions for digital services and "
"disservices&mdash;things related to the Orwellian tracking done by any "
"&ldquo;connected&rdquo; car."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/12/exploit-used-in-mass-iphone-infection-campaign-targeted-secret-hardware-feature/\"> "
"A back door in Apple devices</a>, present and abused from at least 2019 "
"until 2023, allowed crackers to have full control over them by sending "
"iMessage texts that installed malware without any action on the user's "
"part.  Infections, among other things, gave the intruders access to owners' "
"microphone recordings, photos, location and other personal data."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/pleas-for-open-sourcing-refunds-as-spotify-plans-to-brick-car-thing-devices/\">Spotify "
"sold a music streaming device but they no longer support it</a>. Due to its "
"proprietary nature, it can no longer be updated or even used. Users "
"requested Spotify to make the software that runs on the device libre, and "
"Spotify refused, so these devices are now e-waste. Spotify is now offering "
"refunds to save the purchasers from losing money on these products, but this "
"wouldn't prevent the products from being e-waste, and wouldn't save users "
"from being jerked around by Spotify. This is an example of how software that "
"is not free controls the user instead of the user controlling the "
"software. It is also an important lesson for us to insist the software in a "
"device be libre before we buy it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/15/24101887/microsoft-bing-popups-windows-11-google-chrome\"> "
"Microsoft is using malware tactics to get users to switch to their web "
"browser</a>, Microsoft Edge, and their search engine, Microsoft Bing. When "
"users launch the Google Chrome browser Microsoft injects a pop up "
"advertisement in the corner of the screen advising users to switch to "
"Bing. Microsoft also imported users Chrome browsing data without their "
"knowledge or consent."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240311120515/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/technology/carmakers-driver-tracking-insurance.html\"> "
"GM is spying on drivers</a> who own or rent their cars, and give away "
"detailed driving data to insurance companies through data brokers. These "
"companies then analyze the data, and hike up insurance prices if they think "
"the data denotes &ldquo;risky driving.&rdquo; For the car to make this data "
"available to anyone but the owner or renter of the car should be a crime.  "
"If the car is owned by a rental company, that company should not have access "
"to it either."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Surveillance cameras put in by government A to surveil for it may be "
"surveilling for government B as well.  That's because A put in a product <a "
"href=\"https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-cctv-moscow-spying-schemes-investigation/32747767.html\"> "
"made by B with nonfree software</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>(Please note that this article misuses the word &ldquo;<a "
"href=\"/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Hacker\">hack</a>&rdquo; to mean "
"&ldquo;break security.&rdquo;)</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft has been annoying people who wanted to close the proprietary "
"program OneDrive on their computers, <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/8/23952878/microsoft-onedrive-windows-close-app-notification\"> "
"forcing them to give the reason why they were closing it</a>. This prompt "
"was removed after public pressure."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This is a reminder that angry users still have the power to make developers "
"of proprietary software remove small annoyances. Don't count on public "
"outcry to make them remove more profitable malware, though. Run away from "
"proprietary software!"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a href=\"/proprietary/uhd-bluray-denies-your-freedom.html\">UHD Blu-ray "
"disks are encrypted with AACS, one of the worst kinds of DRM</a>.  Playing "
"them on a PC requires software and hardware that meet stringent proprietary "
"specifications, which developers can only obtain after signing an agreement "
"that explicitly forbids them from disclosing any source code."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://badcyber.com/dieselgate-but-for-trains-some-heavyweight-hardware-hacking/\">Newag, "
"a Polish railway manufacturer, puts DRM inside trains to prevent third-party "
"repairs</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The train's software contains code to detect if the GPS coordinates are near "
"some third party repairers, or the train has not been running for some "
"time. If yes, the train will be &ldquo;locked up&rdquo; (i.e. bricked). It "
"was also possible to unlock it by pressing a secret combination of buttons "
"in the cockpit, but this ability was removed by a manufacturer's software "
"update."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The train will also lock up after a certain date, which is hardcoded in the "
"software."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The company pushes a software update that detects if the DRM code has been "
"bypassed, i.e. the lock should have been engaged but the train is still "
"operational. If yes, the controller cabin screen will display a scary "
"message warning about &ldquo;copyright violation&rdquo;."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/logofail-attack-can-install-uefi-bootkits-through-bootup-logos/\">x86 "
"and ARM based computers shipped with UEFI are potentially vulnerable to a "
"design omission called LogoFAIL</a>. A cracker can replace the BIOS logo "
"with a fake one that contains malicious code. Users can't fix this omission "
"because it is in the nonfree UEFI firmware that users can't replace."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Recent autos offer a feature by which the drivers can connect their "
"snoop-phones to the car.  That feature <a "
"href=\"https://therecord.media/class-action-lawsuit-cars-text-messages-privacy\"> "
"snoops on the calls and texts</a> and gives the data to the car "
"manufacturer, and to the state."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A good privacy law would prohibit cars recording this data about the users' "
"activities.  But not just <em>this</em> data&mdash;lots of other data too."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Clash Royale is an online game with an &ldquo;optimized&rdquo; <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#gacha\"> <i>gacha</i></a> "
"system that makes it <a "
"href=\"https://medium.com/@nikmlnkr/what-makes-clash-royale-so-addictive-1e586815b1f0\"> "
"very addictive for players</a>, and very profitable for its developers."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google Nest snooper/surveillance cameras are always tethered to Google "
"servers, record videos 24/7, and are <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/09/google-nest-cameras-get-a-25-33-subscription-price-hike/\"> "
"subscription-based, which is an injustice to people who use them</a>. The "
"article discusses the rise in prices for &ldquo;plans&rdquo; you can buy "
"from Google, which include storing videos in the "
"&ldquo;cloud&rdquo;&mdash;another word for someone else's computer."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20231213150111/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/12/technology/iphone-repair-apple-control.html\">To "
"block non-Apple repairs, Apple encodes the iMonster serial number in the "
"original parts</a>. This is called &ldquo;parts pairing&rdquo;. Swapping "
"parts between working iMonsters of the same model causes malfunction or "
"disabling of some functionalities. Part replacement may also trigger "
"persistent alerts, unless it is done by an Apple store."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20231011121908/https://www.makeuseof.com/how-to-remove-ads-on-samsung/\">Samsung's "
"Push Service proprietary app</a> sends notifications to the user's phone "
"about &ldquo;updates&rdquo; in Samsung apps, including the Gaming Hub, but "
"these updates only sometimes have to do with a new version of the apps. Many "
"times, the notifications from Gaming Hub are simply ads for games that they "
"think the user should install based on the data collected from the "
"user. Most importantly, <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240305093416/https://getfastanswer.com/3486/how-to-remove-samsung-push-service-on-a-smartphone\">it "
"cannot be permanently disabled.</a>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Chamberlain Group <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/11/chamberlain-blocks-smart-garage-door-opener-from-working-with-smart-homes/\">blocks "
"users from using third-party software</a> with its garage openers. This is "
"an intentional attack on using free software. The official garage opener "
"proprietary mobile app is now also <a "
"href=\"https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain\">infested "
"with ads, including up-selling its other services and devices.</a>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In Australia, people assume that &ldquo;smart&rdquo; means "
"&ldquo;tethered.&rdquo; When people's ISP goes down, <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/10/optus-went-down-and-the-smart-lights-came-on-and-then-marayke-was-stranded-in-bed\"> "
"all the tethered devices become useless</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"That's in addition to the nasty things tethered devices do when they are "
"&ldquo;functioning&rdquo; normally&mdash;such as snoop on the commands sent "
"to the device and the results they report."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid "Smart <em>users</em> know better than to accept tethered devices."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Some Bambu Lab 3D printers were reported to <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/3d-printers-print-break-on-their-own-due-to-cloud-outage/\"> "
"start printing without user's consent</a>, as a result of a malfunction of "
"the servers to which they were tethered. This caused significant damage."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Yandex company has started to <a "
"href=\"https://meduza.io/en/feature/2023/08/08/user-x-with-driver-y-traveled-from-point-a-to-point-b\"> "
"give away Yango taxi ride data to Russia's Federal Security Service "
"(FSB)</a>. The Russian government (and whoever else receives the the data) "
"thus has access to a wealth of personal information, including who traveled "
"where, when, and with which driver. Yandex <a "
"href=\"https://yandex.ru/legal/confidential/?lang=en\"> claims that it "
"complies with European regulations</a> for data collected in the European "
"Economic Area, Switzerland or Israel.  But what about the rest of the world?"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In an article from Mozilla, every car brand they researched <a "
"href=\"https://www.mozillafoundation.org/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/\"> "
"has failed their privacy tests</a>. Some car manufacturers explicitly "
"mention that they collect data which includes &ldquo;sexual "
"activities&rdquo; and &ldquo;genetic information&rdquo;. Not only collecting "
"any of such data is a huge privacy violation in the first place, some "
"companies assume drivers and passengers' consent before they get in the "
"car. Notably, Tesla threatens that the car may be &ldquo;inoperable&rdquo; "
"if the user opts out of data collection."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Windows 11 Home and Pro now <a "
"href=\"https://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-11-specifications\"> "
"require internet connection and a Microsoft account</a> to complete the "
"installation. Windows 11 Pro had an option to create a local account "
"instead, but the option has been removed. This account can (and most "
"certainly will) be used for surveillance and privacy violations. Thankfully, "
"a free software tool named <a "
"href=\"https://gothub.projectsegfau.lt/pbatard/rufus/\">Rufus</a> can bypass "
"those requirements, or help users install a <a "
"href=\"/distros/distros.html\"> free operating system</a> instead."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"As tech companies add microphones to a wide range of products, including "
"refrigerators and motor vehicles, they also set up transcription farms where "
"human employees <a "
"href=\"https://getpocket.com/explore/item/silicon-valley-got-millions-to-let-siri-and-alexa-listen-in\"> "
"listen to what people say</a> and tweak the recognition algorithms."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Philips Hue, the most ubiquitous home automation product in the US, is "
"planning to soon <a "
"href=\"https://boingboing.net/2023/09/27/philips-hue-to-make-you-create-an-account-and-log-in-to-adjust-your-lightbulbs.html\"> "
"force users to log in to the app server</a> in order to be able to adjust a "
"lightbulb, or use other functionalities, in what amounts to a massive "
"user-tracking data grab."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jul/04/smile-youre-on-camera-self-driving-cars-are-here-and-theyre-watching-you\"> "
"Driverless cars in San Francisco collect videos constantly</a>, using "
"cameras inside and outside, and governments have already collected those "
"videos secretly."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"As the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project says, they are "
"&ldquo;driving us straight into authoritarianism.&rdquo; We must <a "
"href=\"/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html\">regulate <em>all</em> "
"cameras that collect images that can be used to track people</a>, to make "
"sure they are not used for that."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Some employers are <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/may/30/i-feel-constantly-watched-employees-working-under-surveillance-monitorig-software-productivity\"> "
"forcing employees to run &ldquo;monitoring software&rdquo;</a> on their "
"computers. These extremely intrusive proprietary programs can take "
"screenshots at regular intervals, log keystrokes, record audio and video, "
"etc. Such practices have been shown to <a "
"href=\"https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/report/2020/employee-monitoring-and-surveillance-the-challenges-of-digitalisation\"> "
"deteriorate employees' well-being</a>, and trade unions in the European "
"union have voiced their concerns about them. The requirement for employee's "
"consent, which exists in some countries, is a sham because most often the "
"employee is not free to refuse. In short, these practices should be "
"abolished."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Edge <a "
"href=\"https://www.neowin.net/news/edge-sends-images-you-view-online-to-microsoft-here-is-how-to-disable-that/\">sends "
"the URLs of images the user views to Microsoft's servers</a> by default, "
"supposedly to &ldquo;enhance&rdquo; them.  And these images <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-surveillance.html#M201405140\">may end up on "
"the NSA's servers</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft claims its nonfree browser sends the URLs without identifying you, "
"which cannot be true, since at least your IP address is known to the server "
"if you don't take extra measures.  Either way, such enhancer service is "
"unjust because any image editing <a "
"href=\"/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html\">should be done "
"on your own computer using installed free software</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The article describes how to disable sending the URLs.  That makes a change "
"for the better, but we suggest that you instead switch to a "
"freedom-respecting browser with additional privacy features such as <a "
"href=\"/software/gnuzilla/\">IceCat</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Controlling Honeywell internet thermostats with the dedicated app has proven "
"unreliable, due to <a "
"href=\"https://piunikaweb.com/2022/03/15/honeywell-total-connect-comfort-app-website-not-working-issue/\"> "
"recurrent connection issues with the server these thermostats are tethered "
"to</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"HP delivers printers with a universal back door, and recently used it to <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/may/10/how-can-hp-block-me-from-using-a-cheaper-printer-cartridge\"> "
"sabotage them by remotely installing malware</a>. The malware makes the "
"printer refuse to function with non-HP ink cartrides, and even with old HP "
"cartridges which HP now declares to have &ldquo;expired.&rdquo; HP calls the "
"back door &ldquo;dynamic security,&rdquo; and has the gall to claim that "
"this &ldquo;security&rdquo; protects users from malware."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"If you own an HP printer that can still use non-HP cartridges, we urge you "
"to disconnect it from the internet. This will ensure that HP doesn't "
"sabotage it by &ldquo;updating&rdquo; its software."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>Note how the author of the Guardian article credulously repeats HP's "
"assertion that the &ldquo;dynamic security&rdquo; feature protects users "
"against malware, not recognizing that the article demonstrates it does the "
"opposite.</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft is <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/14/microsoft-to-phase-out-internet-explorer-with-new-edge-browser\"> "
"remotely disabling Internet Explorer, forcibly redirecting users to "
"Microsoft Edge</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Imposing such change is malicious, and the fact that the redirection is from "
"one unjust program (IE) to another unjust program (Edge)  does not excuse "
"it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft <a "
"href=\"https://betanews.com/2023/01/19/microsoft-is-using-the-kb5021751-update-to-see-if-you-have-an-unsupported-version-of-office-installed/\"> "
"released an &ldquo;update&rdquo; that installs a surveillance program</a> on "
"users' computers to gather data on some installed programs for Microsoft's "
"benefit. The update is rolling out automatically, and the program runs "
"&ldquo;one time silently.&rdquo;"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Volkswagen <a href=\"https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/28/kinderwagen/\"> "
"tracks the location of every driver, and sells that data to "
"third-parties</a>. However, it refuses to use the data to implement a "
"feature for the benefit of its customers unless they pay extra money for it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This came to attention and brought controversy when Volkswagen refused to "
"locate a car-jacked vehicle with a toddler in it because the owner of the "
"car had not subscribed to the relevant service."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"BMW is now luring British customers into <a "
"href=\"https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/14/business/bmw-subscription/index.html\"> "
"paying for the built-in heated-seat feature of their new cars on a "
"subscription basis</a>. People also have the option to buy the feature when "
"they are paying for the car, but those who bought a used car have to pay BMW "
"extra money to remotely enable the heated seats. This is probably done by "
"BMW accessing a back door in the car software."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A bug in Tesla cars software <a "
"href=\"https://www.tweaktown.com/news/86780/new-app-allows-hackers-to-steal-teslas-by-making-their-own-keys/index.html\"> "
"lets crackers install new car keys</a>, unlock cars, start engines, and even "
"prevent real owners from accessing their cars."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A cracker even reported that he was able to <a "
"href=\"https://fortune.com/2022/01/12/teen-hacker-david-colombo-took-control-25-tesla-ev/\"> "
"disable security systems and take control of 25 cars</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li>
msgid ""
"<small>Please note that these articles wrongly use the word &ldquo;<a "
"href=\"/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Hacker\">hacker</a>&rdquo; instead of "
"cracker.</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Tesla cars record videos of activity inside the car, and <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/04/tesla-workers-shared-images-from-car-cameras-including-scenes-of-intimacy/\"> "
"company staff can watch those recordings and copy them</a>. Or at least they "
"were able to do so until last year."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Tesla may have changed some security functions so that this is harder to "
"do.  But if Tesla can get those recordings, that is because it is planning "
"for some people to use them in some situation, and that is unjust already.  "
"It should be illegal to make a car that takes photos or videos of the people "
"in the car&mdash;or of people outside the car."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Pinduoduo app <a "
"href=\"https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/02/tech/china-pinduoduo-malware-cybersecurity-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html\"> "
"snoops on other apps, and takes control of them</a>.  It also installs "
"additional malware that is hard to remove."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"GM is switching to a new audio/video system in its cars in order to <a "
"href=\"https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/01/business/gm-apple-play-evs/index.html\"> "
"collect complete information about what people in the car watch or listen "
"to, and also how they drive</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The new system for navigation and &ldquo;driving assistance&rdquo; will be "
"tethered to various online dis-services, and GM will snoop on everything the "
"users do with them.  But don't feel bad about that, because some of these "
"subscriptions will be gratis for the first 8 years."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"As soon as it boots, and without asking any permission, <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20230212120649/https://www.techspot.com/news/97535-windows-11-spyware-machine-out-users-control.html\">Windows "
"11 starts to send data to online servers</a>. The user's personal details, "
"location or hardware information are reported to Microsoft and other "
"companies to be used as telemetry data. All of this is done is the "
"background, and users have no easy way to prevent it&mdash;unless they "
"switch the computer offline."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A dispute between Blizzard and one of its partners caused <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/23/world-of-warcraft-offline-china-millions-gamers-bereft\"> "
"World of Warcraft to go offline in China</a>. The shutdown may not be "
"permanent, but even if it is not, the fact that a business disagreement can "
"stop all users in China from playing the game illustrates the injustice of "
"requiring the use of a specific server."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"We expect that users must pay to use that server, but whether that is the "
"case is a side issue.  Even if use of that server is gratis, the harm comes "
"from the fact that the program doesn't allow people to make and use other "
"servers for that job."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Let's hope game fans in China learn the importance of <a "
"href=\"https://gnu.org/philosophy/nonfree-games.html\">rejecting nonfree "
"games</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Hackers discovered <a "
"href=\"https://samcurry.net/web-hackers-vs-the-auto-industry/\"> dozens of "
"flaws in the security (in the usual narrow sense) of many brands of "
"automobiles</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Security in the usual narrow sense means security against unknown third "
"parties. We are more concerned with security in the broader "
"sense&mdash;against the manufacturer as well as against unknown third "
"parties. It is clear that each of these vulnerabilities can be exploited by "
"the manufacturer too, and by any government that can threaten the "
"manufacturer enough to compel the manufacturer's cooperation."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20230101185726/https://gizmodo.com/apple-iphone-analytics-tracking-even-when-off-app-store-1849757558\"> "
"The iMonster app store client programs collect many kinds of data</a> about "
"the user's actions and private communications. &ldquo;Do not track&rdquo; "
"options are available, but tracking doesn't stop if the user activates them: "
"Apple keeps on collecting data for itself, although it claims not to send it "
"to third parties."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/14/apple_data_collection_lawsuit/\"> "
"Apple is being sued</a> for that."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-office-365-email-encryption-could-expose-message-content/\"> "
"The Microsoft Office encryption is weak</a>, and susceptible to attack."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Encryption is a tricky field, and easy to mess up. It is wise to insist on "
"encryption software that is (1) free software and (2)  studied by experts."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a href=\"https://www.techarp.com/mobile/apple-china-limit-airdrop/\"> "
"Obeying a demand by the Chinese government, Apple restricted the use of "
"AirDrop in China</a>. It imposed a ten-minute time limit during which users "
"can receive files from non contacts. This makes it nearly impossible to use "
"AirDrop for its intended purpose, which is to exchange files with strangers "
"between iMonsters in physical proximity. This happened after it became known "
"that dissenters were using the app to distribute digital anti-government "
"fliers anonymously."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Xiaomi provides a tool to <a "
"href=\"https://www.guidetoroot.com/unlock-bootloader-on-any-xiaomi-phones/\"> "
"unlock the bootloader of Xiaomi smartphones and tablets</a>, but this "
"requires creating an account on the company's servers, i.e. providing your "
"phone number. This is the price you have to pay for &ldquo;legally&rdquo; "
"running a free software operating system on Xiaomi devices. But the "
"manufacturer retains control of the unlocked device through a backdoor in "
"the bootloader&mdash;the same backdoor that was remotely used to unlock it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a hreflang=\"ja\" href=\"https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-CAS\">B-CAS</a> <a "
"href=\"#m1\">[1]</a> is the digital restrictions management (DRM) system "
"used by Japanese TV broadcasters, including NHK (public-service TV).  It is "
"sold by the B-CAS company, which has a de-facto monopoly on it. Initially "
"intended for pay-TV, its use was extended to digital free-to-air "
"broadcasting as a means to enforce restrictions on copyrighted works. The "
"system encrypts works that permit free redistribution just like other works, "
"thus denying users their nominal rights."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"On the client side, B-CAS is typically implemented by a card that plugs into "
"a compatible receiver, or alternatively by a tuner card that plugs into a "
"computer. Beside implementing drastic copying and viewing restrictions, this "
"system gives broadcasters full power over users, through back doors among "
"other means. For example:"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li>
msgid ""
"It can force messages to the user's TV screen, and the user can't turn them "
"off."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li>
msgid ""
"It can collect viewing information and send it to other companies to take "
"surveys. Until 2011, user registration was required, so the viewing habits "
"of each customer were recorded. We don't know whether this personal "
"information was deleted from the company's servers after 2011."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li>
msgid ""
"Each card has an ID, which enables broadcasters to force customer-specific "
"updates via the back door normally used to update the decryption key. Thus "
"pay-TV broadcasters can disable decryption of the broadcast wave if "
"subscription fees are not paid on time.  This feature could also be used by "
"any broadcaster (possibly instructed by the government) to stop certain "
"persons from watching TV."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li>
msgid ""
"As the export of B-CAS cards is illegal, people outside Japan can't "
"(officially) decrypt the satellite broadcast signal that may spill over to "
"their location. They are thus deprived of a valuable source of information "
"about what happens in Japan."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"These unacceptable restrictions led to a sort of cat-and-mouse game, with "
"some users doing their best to bypass the system, and broadcasters trying to "
"stop them without much success: cryptographic keys were retrieved through "
"the back door of the B-CAS card, illegal cards were made and sold on the "
"black market, as well as a tuner for PC that disables the copy control "
"signal."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"While B-CAS cards are still in use with older equipment, modern high "
"definition TVs have an even nastier version of this DRM (called ACAS) in a "
"special chip that is built into the receiver. The chip can update its own "
"software from the company's servers, even when the receiver is turned off "
"(but still plugged into an outlet). This feature could be abused to disable "
"stored TV programs that the power in place doesn't agree with, thus "
"interfering with free speech."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Being part of the receiver, the ACAS chip is supposed to be "
"tamper-resistant. Time will tell&hellip;"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>[1] We thank the free software supporter who translated this article "
"from Japanese, and shared his experience of B-CAS with us. (Unfortunately, "
"the article presents DRM as a good thing.)</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A security researcher found that the iOS in-app browser of TikTok <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/24/tiktok-can-track-users-every-tap-as-they-visit-other-sites-through-ios-app-new-research-shows\"> "
"injects keylogger-like JavaScript code into outside web pages</a>. This code "
"has the ability to track all users' activities, and to retrieve any personal "
"data that is entered on the pages. We have no way of verifying TikTok's "
"claim that the keylogger-like code only serves purely technical "
"functions. Some of the accessed data could well be saved to the company's "
"servers, and even sent to third parties. This would open the door to "
"extensive surveillance, including by the Chinese government (to which TikTok "
"has indirect ties). There is also a risk that the data would be stolen by "
"crackers, and used to launch malware attacks."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The iOS in-app browsers of Instagram and Facebook behave essentially the "
"same way as TikTok's. The main difference is that Instagram and Facebook "
"allow users to access third-party sites with their default browser, whereas "
"<a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20221201065621/https://www.reddit.com/r/Tiktokhelp/comments/jlep5d/how_do_i_make_urls_open_in_my_browser_instead_of/\"> "
"TikTok makes it nearly impossible</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The researcher didn't study the Android versions of in-app browsers, but we "
"have no reason to assume they are safer than the iOS versions."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>Please note that the article wrongly refers to crackers as "
"&ldquo;hackers.&rdquo;</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Some Epson printers are programmed to <a "
"href=\"https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/22/08/07/0350244/epson-programs-some-printers-to-stop-operating-claiming-danger-of-ink-spills\"> "
"stop working after they have printed a predetermined number of pages</a>, on "
"the pretext that ink pads become saturated with ink. This constitutes an "
"unacceptable infringement on users' freedom to use their printers as they "
"wish, and on their <a "
"href=\"https://fighttorepair.substack.com/p/citing-danger-of-ink-spills-epson\"> "
"right to repair them</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Today's &ldquo;smart&rdquo; TVs <a "
"href=\"https://www.techdirt.com/2022/04/14/its-still-stupidly-ridiculously-difficult-to-buy-a-dumb-tv/\"> "
"push people to surrender to tracking via internet</a>. Some won't work "
"unless they have a chance to download nonfree software. And they are "
"designed for programmed obsolescence."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"US states that ban abortion talk about making it a crime to go to another "
"state to get an abortion.  They could <a "
"href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/29/tech/wireless-carriers-locations-fcc/index.html\"> "
"use various forms of location tracking, including the network, to prosecute "
"abortion-seekers</a>.  The state could subpoena the data, so that the "
"network's &ldquo;privacy&rdquo; policy would be irrelevant."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"That article explains why wireless networks collect location data, one "
"unavoidable reason and one avoidable (emergency calls).  It also explains "
"some of the many ways the location data are used."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Networks should never do localization for emergency calls except when you "
"make an emergency call, or when there is a court order to do so. It should "
"be illegal for a network to do precise localization (the kind needed for "
"emergency calls) except to handle an emergency call, and if a network does "
"so illegally, it should be required to inform the owner of the phone in "
"writing on paper, with an apology."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Many retail businesses publish cr&hellip;apps that ask to <a "
"href=\"https://www.delish.com/kitchen-tools/a43252/how-food-apps-use-data/\"> "
"spy on the user's own data</a>&mdash;often many kinds."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Those companies know that snoop-phone usage trains people to say yes to "
"almost any snooping."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Network location tracking is used, among other techniques, for <a "
"href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/location-based-advertising-has-starbucks-coupon-finally-john-craig\"> "
"targeted advertising</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Tesla <a "
"href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/22/business/tesla-fsd-price-increase/index.html\"> "
"sells an add-on software feature that drivers are not allowed to use</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This practice depends on a back door, which is unjust in itself. Asking "
"users to buy something years in advance to avoid having to pay an even "
"higher price later is manipulative."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Shortcuts, a built-in scripting app on Apple devices, <a "
"href=\"https://support.apple.com/guide/shortcuts/apdf01f8c054/5.0/ios/15.0\"> "
"doesn't give you complete freedom to share scripts</a> "
"(a.k.a. &ldquo;shortcuts&rdquo;). Exporting a script as a file <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20230329031338/https://www.reddit.com/r/StallmanWasRight/comments/vogb0c/all_methods_of_sharing_ios_shortcuts_require_an/\"> "
"requires an Apple ID</a>, and may be subjected to censorship by Apple."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In this situation (and many others), switching from iPhony/iBad to a freedom "
"respecting device gives you both convenience and freedom. The assumption "
"that you must sacrifice convenience to get freedom is often wrong. Jails are "
"inconvenient."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The nonfree software in a Tesla artificially <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jul/30/will-connected-cars-persuade-drivers-to-pay-for-a-high-spec-ride\"> "
"limits the car's driving range</a>, demanding ransom to unlock the battery's "
"full charge."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid "This is one more reason why cars must not be &ldquo;connected.&rdquo;"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"ATMs and vending machines in Russia run nonfree software&mdash;The machines' "
"owners <a "
"href=\"https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/07/01/russian-atms-reject-new-100-ruble-bill-kommersant-a78175\"> "
"cannot fix them</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Markup investigated 80,000 popular web sites and <a "
"href=\"https://themarkup.org/blacklight/2020/09/22/blacklight-tracking-advertisers-digital-privacy-sensitive-websites\"> "
"reports on how much they snoop on users</a>.  Almost 70,000 had third-party "
"trackers. 5,000 fingerprinted the browser to identify users.  12,000 "
"recorded the user's mouse clicks and movements."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Adobe <a "
"href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/a3xk3p/adobe-tells-users-they-can-get-sued-for-using-old-versions-of-photoshop\"> "
"revoked the license of some older versions</a> of its applications, and "
"warned customers that they can get sued for using them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This is further proof that users of nonfree software are in the hands of its "
"developer."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Canada has fined the company Tim Hortons for making <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/06/tim-hortons-coffee-app-broke-law-by-constantly-recording-users-movements/\"> "
"an app that tracks people's movements</a> to learn things such as where they "
"live, where they work, and when they visit competitors' stores."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A worldwide investigation found that most of the applications that school "
"districts recommended for remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20220525011540/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/05/24/remote-school-app-tracking-privacy/\">track "
"and collect personal data from children as young as below the age of "
"five</a>. These applications, and their websites, send the collected "
"information to ad giants such as Facebook and Google, and they are still "
"being used in the classrooms even after some of the schools reopened."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The US government <a "
"href=\"https://themarkup.org/pixel-hunt/2022/04/28/applied-for-student-aid-online-facebook-saw-you\">sent "
"personal data to Facebook</a> for every college student that applied for US "
"government student aid. It justified this as being for a "
"&ldquo;campaign.&rdquo;"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The data included name, phone number and email address.  This shows the "
"agency didn't even make a handwaving attempt to anonymize the student.  Not "
"that anonymization usually does much good&mdash;but the failure to even try "
"shows that the agency was completely blind to the issue of respecting "
"students' privacy."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Electronic Arts <a "
"href=\"https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/darkspore-servers-shut-down\">made "
"one of its games permanently unplayable</a> by shutting down its "
"servers. This game was heavily reliant on the company's servers, and because "
"the software is proprietary, users can't modify it to make it connect to "
"some other server. If the game were free, people could still play what they "
"purchased."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"New Amazon worker chat app <a "
"href=\"https://theintercept.com/2022/04/04/amazon-union-living-wage-restrooms-chat-app/\">would "
"ban specific words Amazon doesn't like</a>, such as &ldquo;union&rdquo;, "
"&ldquo;restrooms&rdquo;, and &ldquo;pay raise&rdquo;. If the app was free, "
"workers could modify the program so it acts as they wish, not how Amazon "
"wants it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The nonfree app &ldquo;Along,&rdquo; developed by a company controlled by "
"Zuckerberg, <a "
"href=\"https://kappanonline.org/dont-go-along-with-corporate-schemes-to-gather-up-student-data/\"> "
"leads students to reveal to their teacher personal information</a> about "
"themselves and their families. Conversations are recorded and the collected "
"data sent to the company, which grants itself the right to sell it. See also "
"<a "
"href=\"/education/educational-malware-app-along.html#content\">Educational "
"Malware App &ldquo;Along&rdquo;</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple prevents people from upgrading their Mac hardware <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/21/22989226/apple-mac-studios-removable-ssd-blocked-software-replacement\">by "
"imposing DRM on its removable SSD storage</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Honorlock set a network of fake test answer honeypot sites, tempting people "
"to get exam answers, but <a "
"href=\"https://themarkup.org/machine-learning/2022/02/15/a-network-of-fake-test-answer-sites-is-trying-to-incriminate-students\">that "
"is a way to entrap students, so as to identify them and punish them</a>, "
"using nonfree JS code to identify them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"&ldquo;Smart&rdquo; TV manufacturers <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/29/what-your-smart-tv-knows-about-you-and-how-to-stop-it-harvesting-data\"> "
"spy on people using various methods</a>, and harvest their data. They are "
"collecting audio, video, and TV usage data to profile people."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Hewlett-Packard is <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/feb/19/how-cheap-ink-cartridges-can-cost-you-dear\"> "
"implementing DRM in its printers</a> so they refuse to print with ink "
"cartridges from another supplier."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/02/worst-timeline-printer-company-putting-drm-paper-now\"> "
"Dymo is now embedding DRM in the paper rolls for its label printers</a> to "
"make those printers reject equivalent paper rolls made by other "
"companies. This is implemented by an RFID tag, which keeps track of how many "
"labels remain on the roll, and blocks further printing when the roll is "
"empty&mdash;an efficient way to prevent reusing the same RFID with a "
"third-party roll."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A security failure in Microsoft's Windows is <a "
"href=\"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fake-windows-11-upgrade-installers-infect-you-with-redline-malware/\">infecting "
"people's computers with RedLine stealer malware</a> using a fake Windows 11 "
"upgrade installer."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The data broker X-Mode <a "
"href=\"https://themarkup.org/privacy/2022/01/27/gay-bi-dating-app-muslim-prayer-apps-sold-data-on-peoples-location-to-a-controversial-data-broker\">bought "
"location data about 20,000 people collected by around 100 different "
"malicious apps</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The MoviePass dis-service <a "
"href=\"https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/moviepass-founder-wants-to-use-facial-recognition-to-score-you-free-movies/\"> "
"is planning to use face recognition to track people's eyes</a> to make sure "
"they won't put their phones down or look away during ads&mdash;and trackers."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A critical bug in Apple's iOS makes it possible for attackers to alter a "
"shutdown event, <a "
"href=\"https://blog.zecops.com/research/persistence-without-persistence-meet-the-ultimate-persistence-bug-noreboot/\">tricking "
"the user into thinking that the phone has been powered off</a>. But in fact, "
"it's still running, and the user can't feel any difference between a real "
"shutdown and the fake shutdown."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20230607090524/https://old.reddit.com/r/Instagram/comments/6xkhi8/ig_suddenly_asking_for_phone_number_not_visible/\">Instagram "
"is forcing users to give away their phone numbers</a> and won't let people "
"continue using the app if they refuse."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Norton 360 antivirus <a "
"href=\"https://www.howtogeek.com/777952/norton-360-antivirus-now-mines-cryptocurrency/\">updated "
"its program to install a cryptocurrency miner on users' computers</a> "
"without people's permission. The miner is not turned on by default but there "
"is no way to completely uninstall the crypto mining software, which has "
"upset some users."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The legacy company that made Blackberry phones is about to kill them off <a "
"href=\"https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/01/tech/blackberry-end-of-life/index.html\">by "
"shutting down the server they are tethered to</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"If the software on those phones were free (as in freedom), people could "
"modify their software so they could talk to some other server."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Sony restricted access to the PlayStation 3 GPU, so people who installed a "
"GNU/Linux operating system on the console couldn't use it at full "
"capacity. When some of them broke the restriction, <a "
"href=\"https://blog.playstation.com/2010/03/28/ps3-firmware-v3-21-update/\">Sony "
"removed the ability to install other operating systems</a>. Then users broke "
"that restriction too, but <a "
"href=\"https://www.engadget.com/2011-01-12-sony-follows-up-officially-sues-geohot-and-fail0verflow-over-ps.html\">got "
"sued by Sony</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"To install and use third-party operating systems and programs on the Xbox "
"console, <a "
"href=\"https://events.ccc.de/congress/2005/fahrplan/attachments/591-paper_xbox.pdf\">people "
"had to break the restrictions imposed by Microsoft</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"NordicTrack, a company that sells exercise machines with ability to show "
"videos <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2021/11/locked-out-of-god-mode-runners-are-hacking-their-treadmills/\">limits "
"what people can watch, and recently disabled a feature</a> that was "
"originally functional. This happened through automatic update and probably "
"involved a universal back door."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Hundreds of Tesla drivers <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/nov/20/tesla-app-outage-elon-musk-apologises\">were "
"locked out of their cars as a result of Tesla's app suffering from an "
"outage</a>, which happened because the app is tethered to the company's "
"servers."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Some researchers at Google <a "
"href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/93bw8y/google-caught-hackers-using-a-mac-zero-day-against-hong-kong-users\">found "
"a zero-day vulnerability on MacOS, which crackers used to target people "
"visiting the websites</a> of a media outlet and a pro-democracy labor and "
"political group in Hong Kong."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>Please note that the article wrongly refers to crackers as &ldquo;<a "
"href=\"/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Hacker\">hackers</a>&rdquo;.</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"EdTech companies use their surveillance power to manipulate students, and "
"direct them into tracks towards various levels of knowledge, power and "
"prestige. The article argues that <a "
"href=\"https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/medialse/2021/10/25/algorithmic-injustice-in-education-why-tech-companies-should-require-a-license-to-operate-in-childrens-education/\">these "
"companies should obtain licenses to operate</a>. That wouldn't hurt, but it "
"doesn't address the root of the problem. All data acquired in a school about "
"any student, teacher, or employee must not leave the school, and must be "
"kept in computers that belong to the school and run free (as in freedom) "
"software. That way, the school district and/or parents can control what is "
"done with those data."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A building in LA, with a supermarket in it, <a "
"href=\"https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-11-09/column-trader-joes-parking-app\">demands "
"customers load a particular app to pay for parking in the parking lot</a>, "
"and accept pervasive surveillance. They also have the option of entering "
"their license plate numbers in a kiosk. That is an injustice, too."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple's new tactic to restrict users from repairing their own device and "
"impose DRM on people is to <a "
"href=\"https://www.ifixit.com/News/54829/apples-new-screen-repair-trap-could-change-the-repair-industry-forever\">completely "
"disable its Face ID functionality</a> when you replace its screen."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft is making it harder and harder to <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/22630319/microsoft-windows-11-default-browser-changes\">replace "
"default apps in its Windows</a> operating system and is pressuring users to "
"use its proprietary programs instead. We believe the best approach to this "
"would be replacing Windows with a free (as in freedom) operating system like "
"GNU. We also maintain a <a href=\"/distros/free-distros.html\">list of fully "
"free distributions of GNU</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Spotify app <a "
"href=\"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1639920/000119312518063434/d494294df1.htm\">harvests "
"users' data to personally identify and know people</a> through music, their "
"mood, mindset, activities, and tastes. There are over 150 billion events "
"logged daily on the program which contains users' data and personal "
"information."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A pacemaker running proprietary code <a "
"href=\"https://www.wired.com/2016/02/i-want-to-know-what-code-is-running-inside-my-body/\">was "
"misconfigured and could have killed the implanted person</a>. In order to "
"find out what was wrong and get it fixed, the person needed to break into "
"the remote device that sets parameters in the pacemaker (possibly infringing "
"upon manufacturer's rights under the DMCA). If this system had run free "
"software, it could have been fixed much sooner."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Adobe <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20211014123717/https://pluralistic.net/2021/10/13/theres-an-app-for-that/#gnash\">has "
"licensed its Flash Player to China's Zhong Cheng Network</a> who is offering "
"the program bundled with spyware and a back door that can remotely "
"deactivate it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Adobe is responsible for this since they gave Zhong Cheng Network permission "
"to do this.  This injustice involves &ldquo;misuse&rdquo; of the DMCA, but "
"&ldquo;proper,&rdquo; intended use of the DMCA is a much bigger injustice.  "
"There is <a href=\"/philosophy/right-to-read.html\">a series of errors "
"related to DMCA</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://slate.com/technology/2021/10/facebook-unfollow-everything-cease-desist.html\">Facebook's "
"nonfree client forces its useds to look at the newsfeed</a>. A used of "
"Facebook developed a browser add-on to make it easier to unfollow everyone "
"and thus make the newsfeed empty.  Many of the people used by Facebook loved "
"this, because they regard the newsfeed as a burden that Facebook imposes on "
"them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"If the client software for Facebook were free, useds could probably make the "
"newsfeed disappear by modifying the client not to display it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Some Xiaomi phones <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/22/lithuania-tells-citizens-to-throw-out-chinese-phones-over-censorship-concerns\">have "
"a malfeature to bleep out phrases that express political views the Chinese "
"government does not like</a>. In phones sold in Europe, Xiaomi leaves this "
"deactivated by default, but has a back door to activate the censorship."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This is the natural result of having nonfree software in a device that can "
"communicate with the company that made it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.elsalvador.com/eldiariodehoy/app-chivo-bitcoin-pone-en-riesgo-datos-personales-de-usuarios/852310/2021/\">El "
"Salvador Dictatorship's Chivo wallet is spyware</a>, it's a proprietary "
"program that breaks users' freedom and spies on people; demands personal "
"data such as the national ID number and does face recognition, and it is bad "
"security for its data. It also asks for almost every malware permission in "
"people's smartphones."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The article criticizes it for faults in &ldquo;data protection&rdquo;, "
"though <a href=\"/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html\">&ldquo;data "
"protection&rdquo; is the wrong approach to privacy anyway</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google's proprietary Chrome web browser <a "
"href=\"https://www.techrepublic.com/article/new-chrome-feature-can-tell-sites-and-webapps-when-youre-idle/\"> "
"added a surveillance API (idle detection API)</a> which lets websites ask "
"Chrome to report when a user with a web page open is idle."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple has made it <a "
"href=\"https://gizmodo.com/apple-and-google-pull-opposition-app-from-russian-store-1847695238\"> "
"impossible to load Navalny's tactical voting app into an iPhone</a> in "
"Russia."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"It is impossible because (1) the iPhone refuses to load apps from anywhere "
"other than Apple, and (2) Apple has obeyed a Russian censorship law.  The "
"first point is enforced by Apple's nonfree software."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Various models of security cameras, DVRs, and baby monitors that run "
"proprietary software <a "
"href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/kalay-iot-bug-video-feeds/\">are affected "
"by a security vulnerability that could give attackers access to live "
"feeds</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Recent Samsung TVs have a back door with which Samsung can <a "
"href=\"https://www.pcmag.com/news/samsung-can-remotely-disable-any-of-its-tvs-worldwide\"> "
"brick them remotely</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Russian communications watchdog <a "
"href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/russian-watchdog-tells-google-apple-remove-navalny-app-report-2021-08-20/\"> "
"tells Google and Apple to remove Navalny's app</a> from their stores."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Because Apple controls what a user can install, this is absolute "
"censorship. By contrast, because Android does not do that, users can install "
"apps even if Google does not offer them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/18/what-is-pegasus-spyware-and-how-does-it-hack-phones\"> "
"The pegasus spyware used vulnerabilities on proprietary smartphone operating "
"systems</a> to impose surveillance on people. It can record people's calls, "
"copy their messages, and secretly film them, using a security "
"vulnerability. There's also <a "
"href=\"https://info.lookout.com/rs/051-ESQ-475/images/lookout-pegasus-technical-analysis.pdf\"> "
"a technical analysis of this spyware</a> available in PDF format."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A free operating system would've let people to fix the bugs for themselves "
"but now infected people will be compelled to wait for corporations to fix "
"the problems."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A newly found Microsoft Windows vulnerability <a "
"href=\"https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/08/tech/microsoft-windows-10-printnightmare/\"> "
"can allow crackers to remotely gain access to the operating system</a> and "
"install programs, view and delete data, or even create new user accounts "
"with full user rights."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The security research firm accidentally leaked instructions on how the flaw "
"could be exploited but Windows users should still wait for Microsoft to fix "
"the flaw, if they fix it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jul/05/advertisers-targeted-dream-incubation\"> "
"Advertising companies are experimenting to manipulate people's minds</a>, "
"and impose a new way of advertising by altering their dreams. This "
"&ldquo;targeted dream incubation&rdquo; would trigger &ldquo;refreshing "
"dreams&rdquo; of the product, according to the companies."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Peloton company which produces treadmills recently <a "
"href=\"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/technology/peloton-tread-owners-now-forced-into-monthly-subscription-after-recall/\">locked "
"people out of basic features of people's treadmills by a software "
"update</a>. The company now asks people for a membership/subscription for "
"what people already paid for."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The software used in the treadmill is proprietary and probably includes back "
"doors to force software updates. It teaches the lesson that if a product "
"talks to external networks, you must expect it to take in new malware."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Please note that the company behind this product said they are working to "
"reverse the changes so people will no longer need subscription to use the "
"locked feature."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apparently public anger made the company back down. If we want that to be "
"our safety, we need to build up the anger against malicious features (and "
"the proprietary software that is their entry path)  to the point that even "
"the most powerful companies don't dare."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/06/even-creepier-covid-tracking-google-silently-pushed-app-to-users-phones/\">Google "
"automatically installed an app on many proprietary Android phones</a>. The "
"app might or might not do malicious things but the power Google has over "
"proprietary Android phones is dangerous."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jun/17/nine-out-of-10-health-apps-harvest-user-data-global-study-shows\">Almost "
"all proprietary health apps harvest users' data</a>, including sensitive "
"health information, tracking identifiers, and cookies to track user "
"activities. Some of these applications are tracking users across different "
"platforms."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/03/tiktok-just-gave-itself-permission-to-collect-biometric-data-on-u-s-users-including-faceprints-and-voiceprints/\">TikTok "
"apps collect biometric identifiers and biometric information from users' "
"smartphones</a>. The company behind it does whatever it wants and collects "
"whatever data it can."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google, Apple, and Microsoft (and probably some other companies)  <a "
"href=\"https://www.lifewire.com/wifi-positioning-system-1683343\">are "
"collecting people's access points and GPS coordinates (which can identify "
"people's precise location) even if their GPS is turned off</a>, without the "
"person's consent, using proprietary software implemented in person's "
"smartphone. Though merely asking for permission would not necessarily "
"legitimize this."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/13/17684660/google-turn-off-location-history-data\">Google "
"will track people even if people turn off location history</a>, using Google "
"Maps, weather updates, and browser searches. Google basically uses any app "
"activity to track people."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/may/30/gadgets-have-stopped-working-together-interoperability-apple\">Apple "
"is systematically undermining interoperability</a>. At the hardware level, "
"it does this via nonstandard plugs, buses and networks. At the software "
"level, it does this by not letting the user have any data except within one "
"app."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Since the beginning of 2017, <a "
"href=\"https://qz.com/1131515/google-collects-android-users-locations-even-when-location-services-are-disabled\">Android "
"phones have been collecting the addresses of nearby cellular towers</a>, "
"even when location services are disabled, and sending that data back to "
"Google."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.cpomagazine.com/data-privacy/icloud-data-turned-over-to-chinese-government-conflicts-with-apples-privacy-first-focus/\">Apple "
"is moving its Chinese customers' iCloud data to a datacenter controlled by "
"the Chinese government</a>. Apple is already storing the encryption keys on "
"these servers, obeying Chinese authority, making all Chinese user data "
"available to the government."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a href=\"https://gizmodo.com/get-ready-for-in-car-ads-1846888390\">Ford is "
"planning to force ads on drivers in cars</a>, with the ability for the owner "
"to pay extra to turn them off. The system probably imposes surveillance on "
"drivers too."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A motorcycle company named Klim is selling airbag vests with different "
"payment methods, one of them is through a <a "
"href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/93yyyd/this-motorcycle-airbag-vest-will-stop-working-if-you-miss-a-payment\">proprietary "
"subscription-based option that will block the vest from inflating if the "
"payments don't go through</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"They say there is a 30-days grace period if you miss a payment but the grace "
"period is no excuse to the insecurity."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://internetsafetylabs.org/blog/news-press/me2ba-product-testing-spotlight-report-published-data-sharing-in-primary-secondary-school-mobile-apps-2/\">60% "
"of school apps are sending student data to potentially high-risk third "
"parties</a>, putting students and possibly all other school workers under "
"surveillance. This is made possible by using unsafe and proprietary programs "
"made by data-hungry corporations."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>Please note that whether students consent to this or not, doesn't "
"justify the surveillance they're imposed to.</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The United States' government is reportedly considering <a "
"href=\"https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/private-companies-may-spy-on/\">teaming "
"up with private companies to monitor American citizens' private online "
"activity and digital communications</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"What creates the opportunity to try this is the fact that these companies "
"are already snooping on users' private activities. That in turn is due to "
"people's use of nonfree software which snoops, and online dis-services which "
"snoop."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The <a "
"href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/weddings-social-media-apps-photos-memories-miscarriage-problem/\">WeddingWire "
"app saves people's wedding photos forever and hands over data to others</a>, "
"giving users no control over their personal information/data. The app also "
"sometimes shows old photos and memories to users, without giving them any "
"control over this either."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A zero-day vulnerability in Zoom which <a "
"href=\"https://www.zdnet.com/article/critical-zoom-vulnerability-triggers-remote-code-execution-without-user-input/\">can "
"be used to launch remote code execution (RCE) attacks</a> has been disclosed "
"by researchers. The researchers demonstrated a three-bug attack chain that "
"caused an RCE on a target machine, all this without any form of user "
"interaction."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google <a "
"href=\"https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/disha-ravi-arrest-puts-privacy-of-all-google-india-users-in-doubt-1769772-2021-02-16\">handed "
"over personal data of Indian protesters and activists to Indian police</a> "
"which led to their arrest. The cops requested the IP address and the "
"location where a document was created and with that information, they "
"identified protesters and activists."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"BMW is trying to <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/2/21311332/bmw-in-car-purchase-heated-seats-software-over-the-air-updates\">lock "
"certain features of its cars, and force people to pay to use part of the car "
"they already bought</a>. This is done through forced update of the car "
"software via a radio-operated back door."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Amazon's monopoly and DRM is <a "
"href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/10/amazon-library-ebook-monopoly/\">stopping "
"public libraries from lending e-books and audiobooks</a>. Amazon became "
"powerful in e-book world by <a "
"href=\"/philosophy/why-call-it-the-swindle.html\">Swindle</a>, and is now "
"misusing its power and violates people's rights using <a "
"href=\"https://www.defectivebydesign.org\">Digital Restrictions "
"Management</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The article is written in a way that endorses DRM in general, which is "
"unacceptable. <a href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-drm.html\">DRM is an "
"injustice to people</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-09/hackers-expose-tesla-jails-in-breach-of-150-000-security-cams\">Over "
"150 thousand security cameras that used Verkada company's proprietary "
"software are cracked</a> by a major security breach. Crackers have had "
"access to security archives of various gyms, hospitals, jails, schools, and "
"police stations that have used Verkada's cameras."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a href=\"/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html\">It is injustice to "
"the public</a> for gyms, stores, hospitals, jails, and schools to hand "
"&ldquo;security&rdquo; footage to a company from which the government can "
"collect it at any time, without even telling them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"TV manufacturers are turning to produce only &ldquo;Smart&rdquo; TV sets "
"(which include spyware) that <a "
"href=\"https://frame.work/blog/in-defense-of-dumb-tvs\">it's now very hard "
"to find a TV that doesn't spy on you</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"It appears that those manufacturers business model is not to produce TV and "
"sell them for money, but to collect your personal data and (possibly) hand "
"over them to others for benefit."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Tiny Lab Productions, along with online ad businesses run by Google, Twitter "
"and three other companies are facing a lawsuit <a "
"href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/09/12/technology/kids-apps-data-privacy-google-twitter.html\">for "
"violating people's privacy by collecting their data from mobile games and "
"handing over these data to other companies/advertisers</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"At least 30 thousand organizations in the United States are newly &ldquo;<a "
"href=\"/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Hacker\">cracked</a>&rdquo; via <a "
"href=\"https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/03/at-least-30000-u-s-organizations-newly-hacked-via-holes-in-microsofts-email-software/\">holes "
"in Microsoft's proprietary email software, named Microsoft 365</a>. It is "
"unclear whether there are other holes and vulnerabilities in the program or "
"not but history and experience tells us it wouldn't be the last disaster "
"with proprietary programs."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Researchers at the security firm SentinelOne discovered a <a "
"href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/windows-defender-vulnerability-twelve-years/\">security "
"flaw in proprietary program Microsoft Windows Defender that lurked "
"undetected for 12 years</a>. If the program was free (as in freedom), more "
"people would have had a chance to notice the problem, therefore, it could've "
"been fixed a lot sooner."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Proprietary programs Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx <a "
"href=\"https://www.consumerreports.org/video-conferencing-services/videoconferencing-privacy-issues-google-microsoft-webex-a7383469308/\">are "
"collecting user's personal and identifiable data</a> including how long a "
"call lasts, who's participating in the call, and the IP addresses of "
"everyone taking part. From experience, this can even harm users physically "
"if those companies hand over data to governments."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The proprietary program Microsoft Teams' insecurity <a "
"href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2020/04/27/your-whole-companys-microsoft-teams-data-couldve-been-stolen-with-an-evil-gif/\">could "
"have let a malicious GIF steal user data from Microsoft Teams accounts</a>, "
"possibly across an entire company, and taken control of &ldquo;an "
"organization's entire roster of Teams accounts.&rdquo;"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft is <a "
"href=\"https://www.slashgear.com/windows-10-users-are-grumpy-over-forced-updates-and-unwanted-apps-18643135/\">forcing "
"Windows users</a> to <a "
"href=\"https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/manage-updates-in-windows-643e9ea7-3cf6-7da6-a25c-95d4f7f099fe\">install "
"upgrades it pushes</a> using <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html#windows-update\">its "
"universal back doors</a>. These upgrades can do various harms to users such "
"as restricting computers from some functions and/or forcing users to "
"defenselessly do whatever Microsoft tells them to do."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The proprietary program Clubhouse is malware and a privacy "
"disaster. Clubhouse <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/20/why-hot-new-social-app-clubhouse-spells-nothing-but-trouble\">collects "
"people's personal data such as recordings of people's conversations</a>, "
"and, as a secondary problem, does not encrypt them, which shows a bad "
"security part of the issue."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A user's unique Clubhouse ID number and chatroom ID are transmitted in "
"plaintext, and Agora (the company behind the app) would likely have access "
"to users' raw audio, potentially providing access to the Chinese government."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Even with good security of data transmission, collecting personal data of "
"people is wrong and a violation of people's privacy rights."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft is <a "
"href=\"https://uk.pcmag.com/operating-systems/131798/microsoft-starts-automatically-removing-flash-from-windows\">forcibly "
"removing the Flash player from computers running Windows 10</a>, using <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html#windows-update\">a universal "
"backdoor in Windows</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The fact that Flash has been <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html#M202012020\">disabled by "
"Adobe</a> is no excuse for this abuse of power. The nature of proprietary "
"software, such as Microsoft Windows, gives the developers power to impose "
"their decisions on users. Free software on the other hand empowers users to "
"make their own decisions."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Prodigy maths game played in schools at no cost entices students to play "
"it at home, where <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/feb/19/maths-app-targeting-uk-schools-is-criticised-over-premium-model\"> "
"the company tries to lure them into paying for a premium subscription</a> in "
"exchange for mere cosmetic features that, at school, underline the "
"socioeconomic gap between those who can afford it and those who can't."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The strategy of <a href=\"/education/edu-schools.html\">using schools as a "
"fishing pool for customers</a> is a common practice traditionally adopted by "
"nonfree software companies."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The HonorLock online exam proctoring program is a surveillance tool that <a "
"href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/09/students-are-pushing-back-against-proctoring-surveillance-apps\">tracks "
"students and collects data</a> such as face, driving license, and network "
"information, among others, in blatant violation of students' privacy."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Preventing students from cheating should not be an excuse for running "
"malware/spyware on their computers, and it's good that students are "
"protesting. But their petitions overlook a crucial issue, namely, the "
"injustice of being forced to run nonfree software in order to get an "
"education."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Many cr&hellip;apps, developed by various companies for various "
"organizations, do <a "
"href=\"https://www.expressvpn.com/digital-security-lab/investigation-xoth\"> "
"location tracking unknown to those companies and those organizations</a>.  "
"It's actually some widely used libraries that do the tracking."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"What's unusual here is that proprietary software developer A tricks "
"proprietary software developers B1 &hellip; B50 into making platforms for A "
"to mistreat the end user."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Samsung is forcing its smartphone users in Hong Kong (and Macau) <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240606175013/https://blog.headuck.com/2020/10/12/samsung-phones-force-mainland-china-dns-service-upon-hong-kong-wifi-users/\">to "
"use a public DNS in Mainland China</a>, using software update released in "
"September 2020, which causes many unease and privacy concerns."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The authorities in Venice track the <a "
"href=\"https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/venice-control-room-tourism/index.html\"> "
"movements of all tourists</a> using their portable phones.  The article says "
"that <em>at present</em> the system is configured to report only aggregated "
"information.  But that could be changed.  What will that system do 10 years "
"from now? What will a similar system in another country do? Those are the "
"questions this raises."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A cracker <a "
"href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7apnn/your-cock-is-mine-now-hacker-locks-internet-connected-chastity-cage-demands-ransom\">took "
"control of people's internet-connected chastity cages and demanded "
"ransom</a>. The chastity cages are being controlled by a proprietary app "
"(mobile program)."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>(Please note that the article wrongly refers to crackers as \"<a "
"href=\"/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Hacker\">hackers</a>\".)</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"As of 2021, WhatsApp (one of Facebook's subsidiaries) is <a "
"href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlypage/2021/01/08/whatsapp-tells-users-share-your-data-with-facebook-or-well-deactivate-your-account/\">forcing "
"its users to hand over sensitive personal data</a> to its parent "
"company. This increases Facebook's power over users, and further jeopardizes "
"people's privacy and security."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Instead of WhatsApp you can use <a "
"href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Jami\">GNU Jami</a>, which is free "
"software and will not collect your data."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Many popular mobile games include a random-reward system called <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#gacha\"> <i>gacha</i></a> "
"which is especially effective on children. One variant of gacha was declared "
"illegal in Japan in 2012, but the other variants are still <a "
"href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/04/04/japanese-mobile-gaming-still-cant-shake-off-the-spectre-of-exploitation/\"> "
"luring players into compulsively spending</a> inordinate amounts of money on "
"virtual toys."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Most Internet connected devices in Mozilla's <a "
"href=\"https://www.mozillafoundation.org/privacynotincluded/\">&ldquo;Privacy "
"Not Included&rdquo;</a> list <a "
"href=\"https://www.mozillafoundation.org/privacynotincluded/arlo-video-doorbell/\">are "
"designed to snoop on users</a> even if they meet Mozilla's &ldquo;Minimum "
"Security Standards.&rdquo; Insecure design of the program running on some of "
"these devices <a "
"href=\"https://www.mozillafoundation.org/privacynotincluded/vibratissimo-panty-buster/\">makes "
"the user susceptible to be snooped on and exploited by crackers as well</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The personal finance management software &ldquo;Quicken&rdquo; <a "
"href=\"https://www.quicken.com/support/quicken-discontinuation-policy/\"> "
"has a discontinuation policy, a.k.a. planned obsolescence</a>, which is an "
"injustice to users. A free (as in freedom) program would let users control "
"the software. But when you use a proprietary software, you won't be in "
"control."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Adobe Flash Player <a "
"href=\"https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/end-of-life.html\"> has a "
"universal back door</a> which lets Adobe control the software and, for "
"example, disable it whenever it wants. Adobe will block Flash content from "
"running in Flash Player beginning January 12, 2021, which indicates that "
"they have access to every Flash Player through a back door."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The back door won't be dangerous in the future, as it'll disable a "
"proprietary program and make users delete the software, but it was an "
"injustice for many years. Users should have deleted Flash Player even before "
"its end of life."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"As of 2019-2020, Minecraft players are <a "
"href=\"https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/java-edition-moving-house\">being "
"forced to move to Microsoft servers</a>, which results in privacy "
"violation. Microsoft publishes a program so users can run their own server, "
"but the program is proprietary and it's another <a "
"href=\"/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html\">injustice to "
"users</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"People can play <a "
"href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Minetest\">Minetest</a> "
"instead. Minetest is free software and respects the user's computer freedom."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"While the world is still struggling with COVID-19 coronavirus, many <a "
"href=\"https://mashable.com/article/privacy-in-the-age-of-coronavirus\">people "
"are in danger of surveillance</a> and their computers are infected with "
"malware as a result of installing proprietary software."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"HP tricked users into installing a mischievous update in their printers that "
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/11/ink-stained-wretches-battle-soul-digital-freedom-taking-place-inside-your-printer\">made "
"the devices reject all third-party ink cartridges</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"United States officials are facing one of biggest crackings against them in "
"years, when <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/dec/15/orion-hack-solar-winds-explained-us-treasury-commerce-department\">malicious "
"code was sneaked into SolarWinds' proprietary software named "
"Orion</a>. Crackers got access to networks when users downloaded a tainted "
"software update. Crackers were able to monitor internal emails at some of "
"the top agencies in the US."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Commercial crackware can <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/dec/20/iphones-vulnerable-to-hacking-tool-for-months-researchers-say\"> "
"get passwords out of an iMonster</a>, use the microphone and camera, and "
"other things."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/12/18/zoom-helped-china-surveillance/\"> "
"A Zoom executive carried out snooping and censorship for the Chinese "
"government</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This abuse of Zoom's power shows how dangerous that power is. The root "
"problem is not the surveillance and censorship, but rather the power that "
"Zoom has. It gets that power partly from the use of its server, but also "
"partly from the nonfree client program."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Some Wavelink and JetStream wifi routers have universal back doors that "
"enable unauthenticated users to remotely control not only the routers, but "
"also any devices connected to the network. There is evidence that <a "
"href=\"https://cybernews.com/security/walmart-exclusive-routers-others-made-in-china-contain-backdoors-to-control-devices/\"> "
"this vulnerability is actively exploited</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"If you consider buying a router, we encourage you to get one that <a "
"href=\"https://ryf.fsf.org/categories/routers\">runs on free "
"software</a>. Any attempts at introducing malicious functionalities in it "
"(e.g., through a firmware update) will be detected by the community, and "
"soon corrected."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"If unfortunately you own a router that runs on proprietary software, don't "
"panic! You may be able to replace its firmware with a free operating system "
"such as <a href=\"https://librecmc.org\">libreCMC</a>. If you don't know "
"how, you can get help from a nearby GNU/Linux user group."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Baidu apps were <a "
"href=\"https://www.zdnet.com/article/baidus-android-apps-caught-collecting-sensitive-user-details/\"> "
"caught collecting sensitive personal data</a> that can be used for lifetime "
"tracking of users, and putting them in danger. More than 1.4 billion people "
"worldwide are affected by these proprietary apps, and users' privacy is "
"jeopardized by this surveillance tool. Data collected by Baidu may be handed "
"over to the Chinese government, possibly putting Chinese people in danger."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft's Office 365 suite enables employers <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/nov/26/microsoft-productivity-score-feature-criticised-workplace-surveillance\">to "
"snoop on each employee</a>. After a public outburst, Microsoft stated that "
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/dec/02/microsoft-apologises-productivity-score-critics-derided-workplace-surveillance\">it "
"would remove this capability</a>. Let's hope so."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple has <a "
"href=\"https://sneak.berlin/20201112/your-computer-isnt-yours/\">implemented "
"a malware in its computers that imposes surveillance</a> on users and "
"reports users' computing to Apple."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The reports are even unencrypted and they've been leaking this data for two "
"years already. This malware is reporting to Apple what user opens what "
"program at what time. It also gives Apple power to sabotage users' "
"computing."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"According to FTC, the company behind the Zoom conferencing software <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/11/zoom-lied-to-users-about-end-to-end-encryption-for-years-ftc-says/\">has "
"lied to users about its end-to-end encryption</a> for years, at least since "
"2016."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"People can use free (as in freedom) programs such as <a "
"href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Jitsi\">Jitsi</a> or <a "
"href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/BigBlueButton\">BigBlueButton</a>, "
"better still if installed in a server controlled by the users."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Riot Games' new anti-cheat is malware; <a "
"href=\"https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/309320-riot-games-new-anti-cheat-system-runs-at-system-boot-uses-kernel-driver\">runs "
"on system boot at kernel level</a> on Windows. It is insecure software that "
"increases the attack surface of the operating system."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Apple iOS version of Zoom <a "
"href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7e599/zoom-ios-app-sends-data-to-facebook-even-if-you-dont-have-a-facebook-account\">is "
"sending users' data to Facebook</a> even if the user doesn't have a Facebook "
"account. According to the article, Zoom and Facebook don't even mention this "
"surveillance on their privacy policy page, making this an obvious violation "
"of people's privacy even in their own terms."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A new app published by Google <a "
"href=\"https://www.xda-developers.com/google-device-lock-controller-banks-payments/\">lets "
"banks and creditors deactivate people's Android devices</a> if they fail to "
"make payments. If someone's device gets deactivated, it will be limited to "
"basic functionality, such as emergency calling and access to settings."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft <a "
"href=\"https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/all/why-does-my-new-e-mail-account-need-a-phone-number/70049eaf-3b66-4d02-87cc-79dc73c2ea08\">forces "
"people to give their phone number</a> in order to be able to create an "
"account on the company's network. On top of mistreating their users by "
"providing nonfree software, Microsoft is tracking their lives outside the "
"computer and violates their privacy."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The company behind Zoom does not only deny users' computer freedom by "
"developing this piece of nonfree software, it also violates users' civil "
"rights by <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/12/21288995/zoom-blocking-feature-chinese-government-censorship\">banning "
"events and censoring users</a> to serve the agenda of governments."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Freedom respecting programs such as <a "
"href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Jitsi\">Jitsi</a> or <a "
"href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/BigBlueButton\">BigBlueButton</a> can "
"be used instead, better still if installed in a server controlled by its "
"users."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft is imposing its surveillance on the game of Minecraft by <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/22/21527647/minecraft-microsoft-account-mojang-java\">requiring "
"every player to open an account on Microsoft's network</a>. Microsoft has "
"bought the game and will merge all accounts into its network, which will "
"give them access to people's data."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Minecraft players <a href=\"https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Minetest\">can "
"play Minetest</a> instead. The essential advantage of Minetest is that it is "
"free software, meaning it respects the user's computer freedom. As a bonus, "
"it offers more options."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft is <a "
"href=\"https://www.howtogeek.com/442609/confirmed-windows-10-setup-now-prevents-local-account-creation/\">tricking "
"users to create an account on their network</a> to be able to install and "
"use the Windows operating system, which is malware. The account can be used "
"for surveillance and/or violating people's rights in many ways, such as "
"turning their purchased software to a subscription product."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The addictive Genshin Impact relentlessly <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/oct/22/genshin-impact-video-game-slowly-taking-over-the-world\">coerces "
"players to spend money by overwhelming the game play with loot boxes</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Internet-enabled watches with proprietary software are malware, violating "
"people (specially children's)  privacy. In addition, they have a lot of "
"security flaws. They <a "
"href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/kid-smartwatch-security-vulnerabilities/\"> "
"permit security breakers (and unauthorized people) to access</a> the watch."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Thus, ill-intentioned unauthorized people can intercept communications "
"between parent and child and spoof messages to and from the watch, possibly "
"endangering the child."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>(Note that this article misuses the word &ldquo;<a "
"href=\"/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Hacker\">hackers</a>&rdquo; to mean "
"&ldquo;crackers.&rdquo;)</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Roblox (among many other games)  created anti-features which sucker children "
"into <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/mar/11/my-kids-spent-600-on-their-ipads-without-my-knowledge\"> "
"utilizing third-party payment services without authorization.</a>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Mellow sous-vide cooker is tethered to a server. The company suddenly <a "
"href=\"https://www.slashgear.com/mellow-sous-vide-owners-get-unwelcome-subscription-surprise-28630842/\"> "
"turned this tethering into a subscription</a>, forbidding users from taking "
"advantage of the &ldquo;advanced features&rdquo; of the cooker unless they "
"pay a monthly fee."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Many employers are using nonfree software, including videoconference "
"software, to <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/27/shirking-from-home-staff-feel-the-heat-as-bosses-ramp-up-remote-surveillance\"> "
"surveil and monitor staff working at home</a>. If the program reports "
"whether you are &ldquo;active,&rdquo; that is in effect a malicious "
"surveillance feature."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Facebook <a "
"href=\"https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8747541/Facebook-accused-watching-Instagram-users-mobile-cameras.html\">snoops "
"on Instagram</a> users by surreptitously turning on the device's camera."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Oculus headsets <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/18/21372435/oculus-facebook-login-change-separate-account-support-end-quest-october\">require "
"users to identify themselves to Facebook</a>. This will give Facebook free "
"rein to pervasively snoop on Oculus users."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple is <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/aug/30/this-isnt-the-1990s-apple-under-pressure-from-app-developers\"> "
"putting the squeeze on all business</a> conducted through apps for "
"iMonsters."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This is a symptom of a very big injustice: that Apple has the power to "
"decide what software can be installed on an iMonster.  That it is a jail."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"New Toyotas will <a "
"href=\"https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/18/aws_toyota_alliance/\"> upload "
"data to AWS to help create custom insurance premiums</a> based on driver "
"behaviour."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Before you buy a &ldquo;connected&rdquo; car, make sure you can disconnect "
"its cellular antenna and its GPS antenna.  If you want GPS navigation, get a "
"separate navigator which runs free software and works with Open Street Map."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple can remotely <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/aug/18/apple-sets-deadline-in-feud-with-fortnite-maker-epic-games\"> "
"cut off any developer's access to the tools for developing software</a> for "
"iOS or MacOS."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Epic (Apple's target in this example)  makes nonfree games which have their "
"own <a "
"href=\"https://ekgaming.com/2019/03/17/is-the-epic-games-store-spying-on-your-computer/\"> "
"malicious features</a>, but that doesn't make it acceptable for Apple to "
"have this sort of power."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"TikTok <a "
"href=\"https://boingboing.net/2020/08/11/tiktok-exploited-android-secur.html\"> "
"exploited an Android vulnerability</a> to obtain user MAC addresses."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple whistleblower Thomas Le Bonniec reports that Apple made a practice of "
"surreptitiously activating the Siri software to <a "
"href=\"https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Public-Statement-Siri-recordings-TLB.pdf\"> "
"record users' conversations when they had not activated Siri</a>.  This was "
"not just occasional, it was systematic practice."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"His job was to listen to these recordings, in a group that made transcripts "
"of them. He does not believes that Apple has ceased this practice."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The only reliable way to prevent this is, for the program that controls "
"access to the microphone to decide when the user has &ldquo;activated&rdquo; "
"any service, to be free software, and the operating system under it free as "
"well. This way, users could make sure Apple can't listen to them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google Nest <a "
"href=\"https://blog.google/products/google-nest/partnership-adt-smarter-home-security/\"> "
"is taking over ADT</a>. Google sent out a software update to its speaker "
"devices using their back door <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240123114737/https://www.protocol.com/google-smart-speaker-alarm-adt\"> "
"that listens for things like smoke alarms</a> and then notifies your phone "
"that an alarm is happening. This means the devices now listen for more than "
"just their wake words. Google says the software update was sent out "
"prematurely and on accident and Google was planning on disclosing this new "
"feature and offering it to customers who pay for it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Focals eyeglass display, with snooping microphone, has been eliminated.  "
"Google eliminated it by buying the manufacturer and shutting it down.  It "
"also <a "
"href=\"https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/article/canadian-smart-glasses-going-offline-weeks-after-company-bought-by-google/\">shut "
"down the server these devices depend on</a>, which caused the ones already "
"sold to cease to function."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"It may be a good thing to wipe out this product&mdash;for "
"&ldquo;smart,&rdquo; read &ldquo;snoop&rdquo;&mdash;but Google didn't do "
"that for the sake of privacy.  Rather, it was eliminating competition for "
"its own snooping product."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"BMW will remotely <a "
"href=\"https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/bmw-vehicle-as-a-platform/\"> "
"enable and disable functionality in cars</a> through a universal back door."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"&ldquo;Bossware&rdquo; is malware that bosses <a "
"href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/06/inside-invasive-secretive-bossware-tracking-workers\"> "
"coerce workers into installing in their own computers</a>, so the bosses can "
"spy on them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This shows why requiring the user's &ldquo;consent&rdquo; is not an adequate "
"basis for protecting digital privacy.  The boss can coerce most workers into "
"consenting to almost anything, even probable exposure to contagious disease "
"that can be fatal.  Software like this should be illegal and bosses that "
"demand it should be prosecuted for it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Runescape is a popular online game with some <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20230329031353/https://www.reddit.com/r/runescape/comments/33cd8g/question_why_is_runescape_so_addicting/\"> "
"addictive features</a> derived from <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness\"> behavioral "
"manipulation techniques</a>. Certain repetitive aspects of the game, like <a "
"href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grinding_(video_games)\"> grinding</a>, "
"can be minimised by becoming a paying member, and can thus encourage "
"children and impressionable people to spend money on the game."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Most apps are malware, but Trump's campaign app, like Modi's campaign app, "
"is <a "
"href=\"https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/06/21/1004228/trumps-data-hungry-invasive-app-is-a-voter-surveillance-tool-of-extraordinary-scope/\"> "
"especially nasty malware, helping companies snoop on users as well as "
"snooping on them itself</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The article says that Biden's app has a less manipulative overall approach, "
"but that does not tell us whether it has functionalities we consider "
"malicious, such as sending data the user has not explicitly asked to send."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"TV manufacturers are able to <a "
"href=\"https://www.zdnet.com/article/fbi-warns-about-snoopy-smart-tvs-spying-on-you/\">snoop "
"every second of what the user is watching</a>. This is illegal due to the "
"Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988, but they're circumventing it through "
"EULAs."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a href=\"https://www.wired.com/story/ripple20-iot-vulnerabilities/\"> A "
"disasterous security bug</a> touches millions of products in the Internet of "
"Stings."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid "As a result, anyone can sting the user, not only the manufacturer."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Best Buy made controllable appliances and <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/6/20853671/best-buy-connect-insignia-smart-plug-wifi-freezer-mobile-app-shutdown-november-6\"> "
"shut down the service to control them through</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Best Buy acknowledged that it was mistreating its customers by doing so, and "
"offered reimbursement of the affected appliances. The fact remains, however, "
"that tethering a device to a server is a way of restricting and harassing "
"users.  The nonfree software in the device is what stops users from cutting "
"the tether."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Wink sells a &ldquo;smart&rdquo; home hub that is tethered to a server. In "
"May 2020, it ordered the purchasers to start <a "
"href=\"https://www.techhive.com/article/578539/wink-users-revolt-following-its-sudden-shift-to-a-subscription-model.html\"> "
"paying a monthly fee for the use of that server</a>.  Because of the "
"tethering, the hub is useless without that."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Tesla's cars have a <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html#M201709090.1\"> universal "
"remote back door</a>.  Tesla used it to <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/6/21127243/tesla-model-s-autopilot-disabled-remotely-used-car-update\"> "
"disable the autopilot features</a> on people's cars to make them pay extra "
"for re-enabling the features."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This kind of malfeature is only possible with proprietary "
"software&mdash;free software is controlled by its users who wouldn't let do "
"such things to them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Xiaomi phones <a "
"href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2020/04/30/exclusive-warning-over-chinese-mobile-giant-xiaomi-recording-millions-of-peoples-private-web-and-phone-use/\">report "
"many actions the user takes</a>: starting an app, looking at a folder, "
"visiting a website, listening to a song.  They send device identifying "
"information too."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Other nonfree programs snoop too. For instance, Spotify and other streaming "
"dis-services make a dossier about each user, and <a "
"href=\"/malware/proprietary-surveillance.html#M201508210\"> they make users "
"identify themselves to pay</a>.  Out, out, damned Spotify!"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Forbes exonerates the same wrongs when the culprits are not Chinese, but we "
"condemn this no matter who does it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The <a href=\"https://play.google.com/about/play-terms/\"> Google Play Terms "
"of Service</a> insist that the user of Android accept the presence of "
"universal back doors in apps released by Google."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This does not tell us whether any of Google's apps currently contains a "
"universal back door, but that is a secondary question.  In moral terms, "
"demanding that people accept in advance certain bad treatment is equivalent "
"to actually doing it.  Whatever condemnation the latter deserves, the former "
"deserves the same."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The CIA exploited existing vulnerabilities in &ldquo;smart&rdquo; TVs and "
"phones to design a malware that <a "
"href=\"https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/wikileaks-vault-7-android-iphone-cia-phones-handsets-tv-smart-julian-assange-a7616651.html\"> "
"spies through their microphones and cameras while making them appear to be "
"turned off</a>. Since the spyware sniffs signals, it bypasses encryption."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Alipay Health Code app estimates whether the user has Covid-19 and <a "
"href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/01/business/china-coronavirus-surveillance.html\"> "
"tells the cops directly</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Internet-tethered Amazon Ring had a security vulnerability that enabled "
"attackers to <a "
"href=\"https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2019/11/07/amazons-ring-doorbells-leaks-customers-wi-fi-username-and-password\"> "
"access the user's wifi password</a>, and snoop on the household through "
"connected surveillance devices."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Knowledge of the wifi password would not be sufficient to carry out any "
"significant surveillance if the devices implemented proper security, "
"including encryption. But many devices with proprietary software lack "
"this. Of course, they are also used by their manufacturers for snooping."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The ToToc messaging app seems to be a <a "
"href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/22/us/politics/totok-app-uae.html\"> "
"spying tool for the government of the United Arab Emirates</a>.  Any nonfree "
"program could be doing this, and that is a good reason to use free software "
"instead."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>Note: this article uses the word &ldquo;free&rdquo; in the sense of "
"&ldquo;gratis.&rdquo;</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Some Avast and AVG extensions for Firefox and Chrome were found to <a "
"href=\"https://www.itpro.co.uk/security/internet-security/354417/avast-and-avg-extensions-pulled-from-chrome\"> "
"snoop on users' detailed browsing habits</a>. Mozilla and Google removed the "
"problematic extensions from their stores, but this shows once more how "
"unsafe nonfree software can be. Tools that are supposed to protect a "
"proprietary system are, instead, infecting it with additional malware (the "
"system itself being the original malware)."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Many Android apps fool their users by asking them to decide what permissions "
"to give the program, and then <a "
"href=\"https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2019/07/10/android-apps-sidestepping-permissions-to-access-sensitive-data/\"> "
"bypassing these permissions</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Android system is supposed to prevent data leaks by running apps in "
"isolated sandboxes, but developers have found ways to access the data by "
"other means, and there is nothing the user can do to stop them from doing "
"so, since both the system and the apps are nonfree."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Most modern cars now <a "
"href=\"https://boingboing.net/2019/12/17/cars-now-run-on-the-new-oil.html\"> "
"record and send various kinds of data to the manufacturer</a>. For the user, "
"access to the data is nearly impossible, as it involves cracking the car's "
"computer, which is always hidden and running with proprietary software."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"iMonsters and Android phones, when used for work, give employers powerful <a "
"href=\"https://www.fastcompany.com/90440073/if-you-use-your-personal-phone-for-work-say-goodbye-to-your-privacy\"> "
"snooping and sabotage capabilities</a> if they install their own software on "
"the device.  Many employers demand to do this.  For the employee, this is "
"simply nonfree software, as fundamentally unjust and as dangerous as any "
"other nonfree software."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Amazon Ring app does <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jan/29/ring-smart-doorbell-company-surveillance-eff-report\"> "
"surveillance for other companies as well as for Amazon</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Android phones subsidized by the US government come with <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/01/us-government-funded-android-phones-come-preinstalled-with-unremovable-malware/\"> "
"preinstalled adware and a back door for forcing installation of apps</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The adware is in a modified version of an essential system configuration "
"app. The back door is a surreptitious addition to a program whose stated "
"purpose is to be a <a "
"href=\"https://www.zdnet.com/article/unremovable-malware-found-preinstalled-on-low-end-smartphone-sold-in-the-us/\"> "
"universal back door for firmware</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In other words, a program whose raison d'être is malicious has a secret "
"secondary malicious purpose. All this is in addition to the malware of "
"Android itself."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Safari occasionally <a "
"href=\"https://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2019/10/13/dear-apple-safe-browsing-might-not-be-that-safe/\"> "
"sends browsing data from Apple devices in China to the Tencent Safe Browsing "
"service</a>, to check URLs that possibly correspond to "
"&ldquo;fraudulent&rdquo; websites. Since Tencent collaborates with the "
"Chinese government, its Safe Browsing black list most certainly contains the "
"websites of political opponents. By linking the requests originating from "
"single IP addresses, the government can identify dissenters in China and "
"Hong Kong, thus endangering their lives."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple plans to require that <a "
"href=\"https://www.macrumors.com/2019/04/08/mac-apps-notarization-macos-10-14-5/\"> "
"all application software for MacOS be approved by Apple first</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Offering a checking service as an option could be useful and would not be "
"wrong.  Requiring users to get Apple's approval is tyranny. Apple says the "
"check will only look for malware (not counting the malware that is <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/malware-apple.html#TOC\">part of the operating "
"system</a>), but Apple could change that policy step by step.  Or perhaps "
"Apple will define malware to include any app that the Chinese government "
"does not like."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"For free software, this means users will need to get Apple's approval after "
"compilation.  This amounts to a system of surveilling the use of free "
"programs."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Chinese Communist Party's &ldquo;Study the Great Nation&rdquo; app "
"requires users to grant it <a "
"href=\"https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/chinese-app-allows-officials-access-to-100-million-users-phone-report-2115962\"> "
"access to the phone's microphone, photos, text messages, contacts, and "
"internet history</a>, and the Android version was found to contain a "
"back-door allowing developers to run any code they wish in the users' phone, "
"as &ldquo;superusers.&rdquo; Downloading and using this app is mandatory at "
"some workplaces."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Note: The <a "
"href=\"http://web-old.archive.org/web/20191015005153/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/chinese-app-on-xis-ideology-allows-data-access-to-100-million-users-phones-report-says/2019/10/11/2d53bbae-eb4d-11e9-bafb-da248f8d5734_story.html\"> "
"Washington Post version of the article</a> (partly obfuscated, but readable "
"after copy-pasting in a text editor) includes a clarification saying that "
"the tests were only performed on the Android version of the app, and that, "
"according to Apple, &ldquo;this kind of &lsquo;superuser&rsquo; surveillance "
"could not be conducted on Apple's operating system.&rdquo;"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple <a "
"href=\"https://boingboing.net/2019/10/07/apple-ios-13-1-2-for-hong-kong.html\"> "
"censors the Taiwan flag in iOS</a> on behalf of the Chinese government. When "
"the region is set to Hong Kong, this flag is not visible in the emoji "
"selection widget but is still accessible. When the region is set to mainland "
"China, all attempts to display it will result in the &ldquo;empty "
"emoji&rdquo; icon as if the flag never existed."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Thus, not only does Apple use the App Store as an instrument of censorship, "
"it also uses the iThing operating system for that purpose."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple has <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/10/hong-kong-protests-apple-pulls-tracking-app-after-china-criticism\"> "
"banned the app that Hong Kong protesters use to communicate</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Obeying the &ldquo;local laws&rdquo; about what people can do with software "
"is no excuse for censoring what software people can use."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Adobe has <a "
"href=\"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/adobe-to-ban-users-from-venezuela-due-to-us-executive-order/\"> "
"cancelled the software subscriptions of all users in Venezuela</a>. This "
"demonstrates how a requirement for subscription can be turned into a tool "
"for sabotage."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A very popular app found in the Google Play store contained a module that "
"was designed to <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/08/google-play-app-with-100-million-downloads-executed-secret-payloads/\">secretly "
"install malware on the user's computer</a>. The app developers regularly "
"used it to make the computer download and execute any code they wanted."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This is a concrete example of what users are exposed to when they run "
"nonfree apps. They can never be completely sure that a nonfree app is safe."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Facebook app <a "
"href=\"https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2019/09/09/facebook-app-social-network-tracking-your-every-move/2270305001/\"> "
"tracks users even when it is turned off</a>, after tricking them into giving "
"the app broad permissions in order to use one of its functionalities."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The recent versions of Microsoft Office require the user to <a "
"href=\"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/microsoft-365-for-home-and-school-faq?legRedir=true&amp;CorrelationId=c9c5b549-11ad-4f71-bf81-b7e069fdb372\"> "
"connect to Microsoft servers at least every thirty-one days</a>. Otherwise, "
"the software will refuse to edit any documents or create new ones. It will "
"be restricted to viewing and printing."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Some nonfree period-tracking apps including MIA Fem and Maya <a "
"href=\"https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/meghara/period-tracker-apps-facebook-maya-mia-fem\"> "
"send intimate details of users' lives to Facebook</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Tesla users claim Tesla <a "
"href=\"https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-battery/tesla-owner-lawsuit-claims-software-update-fraudulently-cut-battery-capacity-idUSKCN1UY2TW/\">force-installed "
"software to cut down on battery range</a>, rather than replace the defective "
"batteries. Tesla did this to avoid having to run their warranty."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This means that proprietary software can potentially be a way to commit "
"perjury with impunity."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"ChromeBooks are programmed for obsolescence: ChromeOS has a universal back "
"door that is used for updates and <a "
"href=\"https://www.theregister.com/2019/08/22/buying_a_chromebook_dont_forget_to_check_when_it_expires/\"> "
"ceases to operate at a predefined date</a>. From then on, there appears to "
"be no support whatsoever for the computer."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In other words, when you stop getting screwed by the back door, you start "
"getting screwed by the obsolescence."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft recorded users of Xboxes and had <a "
"href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/43kv4q/microsoft-human-contractors-listened-to-xbox-owners-homes-kinect-cortana\"> "
"human workers listen to the recordings</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Morally, we see no difference between having human workers listen and having "
"speech-recognition systems listen.  Both intrude on privacy."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Keeping track of who downloads a proprietary program is a form of "
"surveillance.  There is a proprietary program for adjusting a certain "
"telescopic rifle sight. <a "
"href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2019/09/06/exclusive-feds-demand-apple-and-google-hand-over-names-of-10000-users-of-a-gun-scope-app/\"> "
"A US prosecutor has demanded the list of all the 10,000 or more people who "
"have installed it</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid "With a free program there would not be a list of who has installed it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A series of vulnerabilities <a "
"href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2019/08/31/apple-iphone-ipad-security-ios-upgrade-iphone-xs-max-xr-update/\">found "
"in iOS allowed attackers to gain access to sensitive information including "
"private messages, passwords, photos and contacts stored on the user's "
"iMonster</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The deep insecurity of iMonsters is even more pertinent given that Apple's "
"proprietary software makes users totally dependent on Apple for even a "
"modicum of security.  It also means that the devices do not even try to "
"offer security against Apple itself."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A game published on Facebook <a "
"href=\"https://revealnews.org/article/so-your-child-racked-up-unwanted-credit-card-charges-playing-video-games-now-what/\">aimed "
"at leading children to spend</a> large amounts of their parents' money "
"without explaining it to them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"When Apple suspects a user of fraud, it judges the case secretly and "
"presents the verdict as a fait accompli.  The punishment to a user found "
"guilty <a "
"href=\"https://qz.com/1683460/what-happens-to-your-itunes-account-when-apple-says-youve-committed-fraud\">is "
"being cut off for life, which more-or-less cripples the user's Apple devices "
"forever</a>.  There is no appeal."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Skype refuses to say whether it can <a "
"href=\"http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/07/20/skype_won_t_comment_on_whether_it_can_now_eavesdrop_on_conversations_.html\">eavesdrop "
"on calls</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid "That almost certainly means it can do so."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple is putting DRM on iPhone batteries, and the system proprietary "
"software <a "
"href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/59nz3k/apple-is-locking-batteries-to-specific-iphones-a-nightmare-for-diy-repair\">turns "
"off certain features when batteries are replaced other than by Apple.</a>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Out of 21 gratis Android antivirus apps that were tested by security "
"researchers, eight <a "
"href=\"https://www.comparitech.com/antivirus/android-antivirus-vulnerabilities/\"> "
"failed to detect a test virus</a>. All of them asked for dangerous "
"permissions or contained advertising trackers, with seven being more risky "
"than the average of the 100 most popular Android apps."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>(Note that the article refers to these proprietary apps as "
"&ldquo;free&rdquo;. It should have said &ldquo;gratis&rdquo; "
"instead.)</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Many unscrupulous mobile-app developers keep finding ways to <a "
"href=\"https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/more-than-1000-android-apps-harvest-your-data-even-after-you-deny-permissions/\"> "
"bypass user's settings</a>, regulations, and privacy-enhancing features of "
"the operating system, in order to gather as much private data as they "
"possibly can."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Thus, we can't trust rules against spying.  What we can trust is having "
"control over the software we run."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google &ldquo;Assistant&rdquo; records users' conversations <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/07/google-defends-listening-to-ok-google-queries-after-voice-recordings-leak/\">even "
"when it is not supposed to listen</a>. Thus, when one of Google's "
"subcontractors discloses a thousand confidential voice recordings, users "
"were easily identified from these recordings."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Since Google &ldquo;Assistant&rdquo; uses proprietary software, there is no "
"way to see or control what it records or sends."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Rather than trying to better control the use of recordings, Google should "
"not record or listen to the person's voice.  It should only get commands "
"that the user wants to send to some Google service."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Resourceful children figured out how to <a "
"href=\"https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-48908766\"> empty their "
"parents' bank account</a> buying packs of special players for an Electronic "
"Arts soccer game."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The random element of these packs (also called &ldquo;loot boxes&rdquo;) "
"makes the game <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions#addictiveness\"> strongly "
"addictive</a>, but the fact that players are pressured to spend more in "
"order to get ahead of their competitors further qualifies it as "
"<em>predatory</em>.  Note that Belgium <a "
"href=\"https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/fifa-ultimate-team-packs-blocked-in-belgium\"> "
"made these loot boxes illegal</a> in 2018."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The only good reason to have a copy of such a proprietary game is to study "
"it for free software development."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple appears to say that <a "
"href=\"https://techcrunch.com/2019/07/10/apple-silent-update-zoom-app/\"> "
"there is a back door in MacOS</a> for automatically updating some (all?) "
"apps."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The specific change described in the article was not malicious&mdash;it "
"protected users from surveillance by third parties&mdash;but that is a "
"separate question."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Many Android apps can track users' movements even when the user says <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/8/20686514/android-covert-channel-permissions-data-collection-imei-ssid-location\"> "
"not to allow them access to locations</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This involves an apparently unintentional weakness in Android, exploited "
"intentionally by malicious apps."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Clash of Clans is a good example of a gratis mobile game that its developers "
"<a href=\"https://gamerant.com/clash-of-clans-addiction/\"> made very "
"addictive</a> for a large proportion of its users&mdash;and turned into a "
"cash machine for themselves&mdash;by using <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness\"> "
"psychological manipulation techniques</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>(The article uses &ldquo;free&rdquo; to mean &ldquo;zero "
"price,&rdquo; which is a usage we should avoid. We recommend saying "
"&ldquo;gratis&rdquo; instead.)</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google Chrome is an <a "
"href=\"https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/06/21/google-chrome-has-become-surveillance-software-its-time-to-switch/\"> "
"instrument of surveillance</a>. It lets thousands of trackers invade users' "
"computers and report the sites they visit to advertising and data companies, "
"first of all to Google. Moreover, if users have a Gmail account, Chrome "
"automatically logs them in to the browser for more convenient profiling. On "
"Android, Chrome also reports their location to Google."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The best way to escape surveillance is to switch to <a "
"href=\"/software/icecat/\">IceCat</a>, a modified version of Firefox with "
"several changes to protect users' privacy."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In spite of Apple's supposed commitment to privacy, iPhone apps contain "
"trackers that are busy at night <a "
"href=\"https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2019/05/its-3-am-do-you-know-who-your-iphone-is-talking-to.html\"> "
"sending users' personal information to third parties</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The article mentions specific examples: Microsoft OneDrive, Intuit's Mint, "
"Nike, Spotify, The Washington Post, The Weather Channel (owned by IBM), the "
"crime-alert service Citizen, Yelp and DoorDash. But it is likely that most "
"nonfree apps contain trackers. Some of these send personally identifying "
"data such as phone fingerprint, exact location, email address, phone number "
"or even delivery address (in the case of DoorDash). Once this information is "
"collected by the company, there is no telling what it will be used for."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Femm &ldquo;fertility&rdquo; app is secretly a <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/30/revealed-womens-fertility-app-is-funded-by-anti-abortion-campaigners\"> "
"tool for propaganda</a> by natalist Christians.  It spreads distrust for "
"contraception."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid "It snoops on users, too, as you must expect from nonfree programs."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Amazon Alexa collects a lot more information from users than is necessary "
"for correct functioning (time, location, recordings made without a "
"legitimate prompt), and sends it to Amazon's servers, which store it "
"indefinitely. Even worse, Amazon forwards it to third-party companies. Thus, "
"even if users request deletion of their data from Amazon's servers, <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20190507014804/https://www.ctpost.com/business/article/Alexa-has-been-eavesdropping-on-you-this-whole-13822095.php\"> "
"the data remain on other servers</a>, where they can be accessed by "
"advertising companies and government agencies. In other words, deleting the "
"collected information doesn't cancel the wrong of collecting it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Data collected by devices such as the Nest thermostat, the Philips "
"Hue-connected lights, the Chamberlain MyQ garage opener and the Sonos "
"speakers are likewise stored longer than necessary on the servers the "
"devices are tethered to. Moreover, they are made available to Alexa. As a "
"result, Amazon has a very precise picture of users' life at home, not only "
"in the present, but in the past (and, who knows, in the future too?)"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Users caught in the jail of an iMonster are <a "
"href=\"https://boingboing.net/2019/05/15/brittle-security.html\"> sitting "
"ducks for other attackers</a>, and the app censorship prevents security "
"companies from figuring out how those attacks work."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple's censorship of apps is fundamentally unjust, and would be inexcusable "
"even if it didn't lead to security threats as well."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"BlizzCon 2019 imposed a <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/05/blizzcon-2019-tickets-revolve-around-invasive-poorly-reviewed-smartphone-app/\"> "
"requirement to run a proprietary phone app</a> to be allowed into the event."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This app is a spyware that can snoop on a lot of sensitive data, including "
"user's location and contact list, and has <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20220321042716/https://old.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/bkd5ew/you_need_to_have_a_phone_to_attend_blizzcon_this/emg38xv/\"> "
"near-complete control</a> over the phone."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Jibo robot toys were tethered to the manufacturer's server, and <a "
"href=\"https://apnews.com/article/san-francisco-north-america-technology-business-ap-top-news-99c9ec8ebad242ca88178e22c7642648\"> "
"the company made them all cease to work</a> by shutting down that server."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The shutdown might ironically be good for their users, since the product was "
"designed to manipulate people by presenting a phony semblance of emotions, "
"and was most certainly spying on them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The FordPass Connect feature of some Ford vehicles has <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20200530023040/https://www.myfordpass.com/content/ford_com/fp_app/en_us/termsprivacy.html\"> "
"near-complete access to the internal car network</a>. It is constantly "
"connected to the cellular phone network and sends Ford a lot of data, "
"including car location. This feature operates even when the ignition key is "
"removed, and users report that they can't disable it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"If you own one of these cars, have you succeeded in breaking the "
"connectivity by disconnecting the cellular modem, or wrapping the antenna in "
"aluminum foil?"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Some of users' commands to the Alexa service are <a "
"href=\"https://www.smh.com.au/technology/alexa-is-someone-else-listening-to-us-sometimes-someone-is-20190411-p51d4g.html\"> "
"recorded for Amazon employees to listen to</a>. The Google and Apple voice "
"assistants do similar things."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A fraction of the Alexa service staff even has access to <a "
"href=\"https://news.bloomberglaw.com/tech-and-telecom-law/amazons-alexa-reviewers-can-access-customers-home-addresses\"> "
"location and other personal data</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Since the client program is nonfree, and data processing is done &ldquo;<a "
"href=\"/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#CloudComputing\">in the "
"cloud</a>&rdquo; (a soothing way of saying &ldquo;We won't tell you how and "
"where it's done&rdquo;), users have no way to know what happens to the "
"recordings unless human eavesdroppers <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240416214211/https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/three-cheers-for-amazon-s-human-eavesdroppers-1.1243033\"> "
"break their non-disclosure agreements</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"As of April 2019, it is <a "
"href=\"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/major-browsers-to-prevent-disabling-of-click-tracking-privacy-risk/\">no "
"longer possible to disable an unscrupulous tracking anti-feature</a> that <a "
"href=\"https://html.spec.whatwg.org/multipage/links.html#hyperlink-auditing\">reports "
"users when they follow ping links</a> in Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Opera, "
"Microsoft Edge and also in the upcoming Microsoft Edge that is going to be "
"based on Chromium."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Data collected by menstrual and pregnancy monitoring apps is often <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/13/theres-a-dark-side-to-womens-health-apps-menstrual-surveillance\"> "
"available to employers and insurance companies</a>. Even though the data is "
"&ldquo;anonymized and aggregated,&rdquo; it can easily be traced back to the "
"woman who uses the app."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This has harmful implications for women's rights to equal employment and "
"freedom to make their own pregnancy choices. Don't use these apps, even if "
"someone offers you a reward to do so. A free-software app that does more or "
"less the same thing without spying on you is available from <a "
"href=\"https://search.f-droid.org/?q=menstr\">F-Droid</a>, and <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20231230011724/https://dcs.megaphone.fm/BLM6228935164.mp3?key=23a58d3f686794e6d8b8678a5204887b&amp;request_event_id=36469053-3d0b-4724-bf2d-6dbeeeac282e\"> "
"a new one is being developed</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Microsoft has been <a "
"href=\"https://borncity.com/win/2019/01/17/windows-10-update-kb4023057-re-released-1-16-2019/\"> "
"force-installing a &ldquo;remediation&rdquo; program</a> on computers "
"running certain versions of Windows 10. Remediation, in Microsoft's view, "
"means <a "
"href=\"https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/kb4023057-update-health-tools-windows-update-service-components-fccad0ca-dc10-2e46-9ed1-7e392450fb3a\"> "
"tampering with users' settings and files</a>, notably to "
"&ldquo;repair&rdquo; any components of the updating system that users may "
"have intentionally disabled, and thus regain full power over them. Microsoft "
"repeatedly pushed faulty versions of this program to users' machines, "
"causing numerous problems, some of which <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240223182933/https://www.windowsmode.com/microsoft-suspends-windows-10-october-2018-update-rollout-due-to-critical-bugs/\"> "
"critical</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This exemplifies the arrogant and manipulative attitude that proprietary "
"software developers have learned to adopt toward the people they are "
"supposedly serving. Migrate to a <a href=\"/distros/free-distros.html\">free "
"operating system</a> if you can!"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"If your employer makes you run Windows, tell the financial department how "
"this wastes your time dealing with endless connections and premature "
"hardware failures."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Volkswagen programmed its car engine computers to <a "
"href=\"https://petri.com/volkswagen-used-software-to-cheat-on-emissions/\"> "
"detect the Environmental Protection Agency's emission tests</a>, and run "
"dirty the rest of the time. In real driving, the cars exceeded emissions "
"standards by a factor of up to 35."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Using free software would not have stopped Volkswagen from programming it "
"this way, but would have made it harder to conceal, and given the users the "
"possibility of correcting the deception."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Former executives of Volkswagen are being <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/apr/15/former-head-of-volkswagen-could-face-10-years-in-prison\"> "
"sued over this fraud</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google tracks the movements of Android phones and iPhones running Google "
"apps, and sometimes <a "
"href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/13/us/google-location-tracking-police.html\"> "
"saves the data for years</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Nonfree software in the phone has to be responsible for sending the location "
"data to Google."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"An Android phone was observed to track location even while in airplane "
"mode. It didn't send the location data while in airplane mode.  Instead, <a "
"href=\"https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/7811918/google-is-tracking-you-even-with-airplane-mode-turned-on/\"> "
"it saved up the data, and sent them all later</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Ebooks &ldquo;bought&rdquo; from Microsoft's store check that their DRM is "
"valid by connecting to the store every time their &ldquo;owner&rdquo; wants "
"to read them. Microsoft is going to close this store, <a "
"href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47810367\"> bricking all DRM'ed "
"ebooks it has ever &ldquo;sold&rdquo;</a>. (The article additionally "
"highlights the pitfalls of DRM.)"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This is another proof that a DRM-encumbered product doesn't belong to the "
"person who bought it. Microsoft said it will refund customers, but this is "
"no excuse for selling them restricted books."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"OfficeMax cheated customers by <a "
"href=\"https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/03/office-depot-tricked-people-into-buying-pc-support-with-fake-virus-scans/\"> "
"using proprietary &ldquo;PC Health Check&rdquo; software</a> rigged to give "
"false results, deceiving the customer into thinking per computer was "
"infected and buy unneeded support services from the company."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Medtronics Conexus Telemetry Protocol has <a "
"href=\"https://www.startribune.com/750-000-medtronic-defibrillators-vulnerable-to-hacking/507470932/\"> "
"two vulnerabilities that affect several models of implantable "
"defibrillators</a> and the devices they connect to."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This protocol has been around since 2006, and similar vulnerabilities were "
"discovered in an earlier Medtronics communication protocol in "
"2008. Apparently, nothing was done by the company to correct them. This "
"means you can't rely on proprietary software developers to fix bugs in their "
"products."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Car companies are coming up with a list of clever reasons why <a "
"href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/28/business/autonomous-cars-technology-privacy.html\"> "
"they &ldquo;have to&rdquo; put cameras and microphones in the car</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"BMW says its software does not store any driver-monitoring information.  If "
"this means none of the data that come out of the cameras and microphones can "
"be seen by anyone else, the cameras and microphones are not dangerous.  But "
"should we trust this claim? The only way it can deserve rational trust is if "
"the software is free."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Many Android phones come with a huge number of <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20190326145122/https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/03/22/inenglish/1553244778_819882.html\"> "
"preinstalled nonfree apps that have access to sensitive data without users' "
"knowledge</a>. These hidden apps may either call home with the data, or pass "
"it on to user-installed apps that have access to the network but no direct "
"access to the data. This results in massive surveillance on which the user "
"has absolutely no control."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Tesla cars collect lots of personal data, and <a "
"href=\"https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/29/tesla-model-3-keeps-data-like-crash-videos-location-phone-contacts.html\"> "
"when they go to a junkyard the driver's personal data goes with them</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The British supermarket Tesco sold tablets which were tethered to Tesco's "
"server for reinstalling default settings.  Tesco <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/mar/25/tesco-hudl-tablet-support-kill-fix\"> "
"turned off the server for old models</a>, so now if you try to reinstall the "
"default settings, it bricks them instead."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A study of 24 &ldquo;health&rdquo; apps found that 19 of them <a "
"href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/pan9e8/health-apps-can-share-your-data-everywhere-new-study-shows\"> "
"send sensitive personal data to third parties</a>, which can use it for "
"invasive advertising or discriminating against people in poor medical "
"condition."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Whenever user &ldquo;consent&rdquo; is sought, it is buried in lengthy terms "
"of service that are difficult to understand. In any case, "
"&ldquo;consent&rdquo; is not sufficient to legitimize snooping."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Volvo plans to <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/20/volvo-to-install-cameras-in-new-cars-to-reduce-road-deaths\"> "
"install cameras inside cars</a> to monitor the driver for signs of "
"impairment that could cause an accident."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"However, there is nothing to prevent these cameras from doing other things, "
"such as biometrically identifying the driver or passengers, other than "
"proprietary software which Volvo&mdash;or various governments and "
"criminals&mdash;could change at any time."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Low-priced Chromebooks for schools are <a "
"href=\"https://www.eff.org/wp/school-issued-devices-and-student-privacy\"> "
"collecting far more data on students than is necessary, and store it "
"indefinitely</a>. Parents and students complain about the lack of "
"transparency on the part of both the educational services and the schools, "
"the difficulty of opting out of these services, and the lack of proper "
"privacy policies, among other things."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"But complaining is not sufficient. Parents, students and teachers should "
"realize that the software Google uses to spy on students is nonfree, so they "
"can't verify what it really does. The only remedy is to persuade school "
"officials to <a href=\"/education/edu-schools.html\"> exclusively use free "
"software</a> for both education and school administration. If the school is "
"run locally, parents and teachers can mandate their representatives at the "
"School Board to refuse the budget unless the school initiates a switch to "
"free software. If education is run nation-wide, they need to persuade "
"legislators (e.g., through free software organizations, political parties, "
"etc.) to migrate the public schools to free software."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A cracker would be able to <a "
"href=\"https://uploadvr.com/hackable-webcam-oculus-sensor-be-aware/\"> turn "
"the Oculus Rift sensors into spy cameras</a> after breaking into the "
"computer they are connected to."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>(Unfortunately, the article <a "
"href=\"/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Hacker\">improperly refers to "
"crackers as &ldquo;hackers&rdquo;</a>.)</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In China, it is mandatory for electric cars to be equipped with a terminal "
"that <a "
"href=\"https://apnews.com/article/north-america-ap-top-news-international-news-shanghai-china-4a749a4211904784826b45e812cff4ca\"> "
"transfers technical data, including car location, to a government-run "
"platform</a>. In practice, <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-surveillance.html#car-spying\"> "
"manufacturers collect this data</a> as part of their own spying, then "
"forward it to the government-run platform."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Malware installed into the processor in a hard drive could <a "
"href=\"https://yro.slashdot.org/story/19/03/08/1928257/hard-disks-can-be-turned-into-listening-devices-researchers-find\"> "
"use the disk itself as a microphone to detect speech</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The article refers to the &ldquo;Linux operating system&rdquo; but seems to "
"mean <a href=\"/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html\">GNU/Linux</a>. That hack would not "
"require changing Linux itself."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Game Of War: Fire Age is an iPhone game with <a "
"href=\"https://www.cracked.com/article_18461_5-creepy-ways-video-games-are-trying-to-get-you-addicted.html\"> "
"addictive features</a> which are based on <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html#addictiveness\">behavioral "
"manipulation techniques</a>, compounded with group emulation. After a fairly "
"easy start, the game slows down and becomes more difficult, so gamers are "
"led to spend more and more money in order to keep up with their group. And "
"if they stop playing for a while, the equipment they invested in gets "
"destroyed by the &ldquo;enemy&rdquo; unless they buy an expensive "
"&ldquo;shield&rdquo; to protect it. This game is also deceptive, as it uses "
"confusing menus and complex stats to obfuscate true monetary costs."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Ring doorbell camera is designed so that the manufacturer (now Amazon) "
"can watch all the time. Now it turns out that <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20190918024432/https://dojo.bullguard.com/dojo-by-bullguard/blog/ring/\"> "
"anyone else can also watch, and fake videos too</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The third party vulnerability is presumably unintentional and Amazon will "
"probably fix it. However, we do not expect Amazon to change the design that "
"<a href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-surveillance.html#M201901100\">allows "
"Amazon to watch</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The AppCensus database gives information on <a "
"href=\"https://www.appcensus.io/\"> how Android apps use and misuse users' "
"personal data</a>. As of March 2019, nearly 78,000 have been analyzed, of "
"which 24,000 (31%) transmit the <a "
"href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-surveillance.html#M201812290\"> Advertising "
"ID</a> to other companies, and <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20240501141046/https://blog.appcensus.io/2019/02/14/ad-ids-behaving-badly/\"> "
"18,000 (23% of the total) link this ID to hardware identifiers</a>, so that "
"users cannot escape tracking by resetting it."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Collecting hardware identifiers is in apparent violation of Google's "
"policies. But it seems that Google wasn't aware of it, and, once informed, "
"was in no hurry to take action. This proves that the policies of a "
"development platform are ineffective at preventing nonfree software "
"developers from including malware in their programs."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Facebook offered a convenient proprietary library for building mobile apps, "
"which also <a "
"href=\"https://boingboing.net/2019/02/23/surveillance-zucksterism.html\"> "
"sent personal data to Facebook</a>. Lots of companies built apps that way "
"and released them, apparently not realizing that all the personal data they "
"collected would go to Facebook as well."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"It shows that no one can trust a nonfree program, not even the developers of "
"other nonfree programs."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The HP <a href=\"https://boingboing.net/2019/02/08/inkjet-dystopias.html\"> "
"&ldquo;ink subscription&rdquo; cartridges have DRM that constantly "
"communicates with HP servers</a> to make sure the user is still paying for "
"the subscription, and hasn't printed more pages than were paid for."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Even though the ink subscription program may be cheaper in some specific "
"cases, it spies on users, and involves totally unacceptable restrictions in "
"the use of ink cartridges that would otherwise be in working order."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Vizio TVs <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/7/18172397/airplay-2-homekit-vizio-tv-bill-baxter-interview-vergecast-ces-2019\"> "
"collect &ldquo;whatever the TV sees,&rdquo;</a> in the own words of the "
"company's CTO, and this data is sold to third parties. This is in return for "
"&ldquo;better service&rdquo; (meaning more intrusive ads?) and slightly "
"lower retail prices."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"What is supposed to make this spying acceptable, according to him, is that "
"it is opt-in in newer models. But since the Vizio software is nonfree, we "
"don't know what is actually happening behind the scenes, and there is no "
"guarantee that all future updates will leave the settings unchanged."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"If you already own a Vizio &ldquo;smart&rdquo; TV (or any "
"&ldquo;smart&rdquo; TV, for that matter), the easiest way to make sure it "
"isn't spying on you is to disconnect it from the Internet, and use a "
"terrestrial antenna instead. Unfortunately, this is not always "
"possible. Another option, if you are technically oriented, is to get your "
"own router (which can be an old computer running completely free software), "
"and set up a firewall to block connections to Vizio's servers. Or, as a last "
"resort, you can replace your TV with another model."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Some portable surveillance devices (&ldquo;phones&rdquo;) now have <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/20/samsung-galaxy-s10-launch-triple-cameras-ultrasonic-fingerprint-sensors-and-5g\"> "
"fingerprint sensors in the display</a>. Does that imply they could take the "
"fingerprint of anyone who operates the touch screen?"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Twenty nine &ldquo;beauty camera&rdquo; apps that used to be on Google Play "
"had one or more malicious functionalities, such as stealing users' photos "
"instead of &ldquo;beautifying&rdquo; them, <a "
"href=\"https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/02/03/google-bans-29-beauty-camera-apps-from-the-play-store-that-steal-your-photos/\"> "
"pushing unwanted and often malicious ads on users, and redirecting them to "
"phishing sites</a> that stole their credentials. Furthermore, the user "
"interface of most of them was designed to make uninstallation difficult."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Users should of course uninstall these dangerous apps if they haven't yet, "
"but they should also stay away from nonfree apps in general. <em>All</em> "
"nonfree apps carry a potential risk because there is no easy way of knowing "
"what they really do."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Many nonfree apps have a surveillance feature for <a "
"href=\"https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/06/iphone-session-replay-screenshots/\"> "
"recording all the users' actions</a> in interacting with the app."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"An investigation of the 150 most popular gratis VPN apps in Google Play "
"found that <a "
"href=\"https://www.top10vpn.com/research/free-vpn-investigations/risk-index/\"> "
"25% fail to protect their users' privacy</a> due to DNS leaks. In addition, "
"85% feature intrusive permissions or functions in their source "
"code&mdash;often used for invasive advertising&mdash;that could potentially "
"also be used to spy on users. Other technical flaws were found as well."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Moreover, a previous investigation had found that <a "
"href=\"https://www.top10vpn.com/research/free-vpn-investigations/ownership/\">half "
"of the top 10 gratis VPN apps have lousy privacy policies</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>(It is unfortunate that these articles talk about &ldquo;free "
"apps.&rdquo; These apps are gratis, but they are <em>not</em> <a "
"href=\"/philosophy/free-sw.html\">free software</a>.)</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google invites people to <a "
"href=\"https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/02/04/google-screenwise-unwise-trade-all-your-privacy-cash?cd-origin=rss\"> "
"let Google monitor their phone use, and all internet use in their homes, for "
"an extravagant payment of $20</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This is not a malicious functionality of a program with some other purpose; "
"this is the software's sole purpose, and Google says so. But Google says it "
"in a way that encourages most people to ignore the details. That, we "
"believe, makes it fitting to list here."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Google is modifying Chromium so that <a "
"href=\"https://tech.slashdot.org/story/19/01/23/0048202/google-proposes-changes-to-chromium-browser-that-will-break-content-blocking-extensions-including-various-ad-blockers\"> "
"extensions won't be able to alter or block whatever the page "
"contains</a>. Users could conceivably reverse the change in a fork of "
"Chromium, but surely Chrome (nonfree) will have the same change, and users "
"can't fix it there."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Around 40% of gratis Android apps <a "
"href=\"https://privacyinternational.org/report/2647/how-apps-android-share-data-facebook-report\"> "
"report on the user's actions to Facebook</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Often they send the machine's &ldquo;advertising ID,&rdquo; so that Facebook "
"can correlate the data it obtains from the same machine via various "
"apps. Some of them send Facebook detailed information about the user's "
"activities in the app; others only say that the user is using that app, but "
"that alone is often quite informative."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid "This spying occurs regardless of whether the user has a Facebook account."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Foundry's graphics software <a "
"href=\"https://torrentfreak.com/software-company-fines-pirates-after-monitoring-their-computers-181102/\"> "
"reports information to identify who is running it</a>. The result is often a "
"legal threat demanding a lot of money."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The fact that this is used for repression of forbidden sharing makes it even "
"more vicious."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"This illustrates that making unauthorized copies of nonfree software is not "
"a cure for the injustice of nonfree software. It may avoid paying for the "
"nasty thing, but cannot make it less nasty."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Samsung phones come preloaded with <a "
"href=\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-08/samsung-phone-users-get-a-shock-they-can-t-delete-facebook\"> "
"a version of the Facebook app that can't be deleted</a>. <a "
"href=\"https://www.infopackets.com/news/10484/truth-behind-undeletable-facebook-app\"> "
"Facebook claims this is a stub</a> which doesn't do anything, but we have to "
"take their word for it, and there is the permanent risk that the app will be "
"activated by an automatic update."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Preloading crapware along with a nonfree operating system is common "
"practice, but by making the crapware undeletable, Facebook and Samsung (<a "
"class=\"not-a-duplicate\" "
"href=\"https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-08/samsung-phone-users-get-a-shock-they-can-t-delete-facebook\">among "
"others</a>)  are going one step further in their hijacking of users' "
"devices."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Until 2015, any tweet that listed a geographical tag <a "
"href=\"http://web-old.archive.org/web/20190115233002/https://www.wired.com/story/twitter-location-data-gps-privacy/\"> "
"sent the precise GPS location to Twitter's server</a>. It still contains "
"these GPS locations."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In the game Fruit Pop, the player buys boosts with coins to get a high "
"score. The player gets coins at the end of each game, and can buy more coins "
"with real money."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Getting a higher score once leads the player to desire higher score again "
"later. But the higher score resulting from the boost <a "
"href=\"https://qz.com/873348/50000-coins-for-1-99-how-mobile-game-in-app-purchases-are-warping-kids-understanding-of-basic-economic-ideas\">does "
"not give the player more coins, and does not help the player get a higher "
"score in subsequent games</a>. To get that, the player will need a boost "
"frequently, and usually has to pay real money for that. Since boosts are "
"exciting and entertaining, the player is subtly pushed to purchase more "
"coins with real money to get boosts, and it can develop into a costly habit."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Microsoft Telemetry Compatibility service <a "
"href=\"https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/microsoft-telemetry-compatibility/cefa7c8e-49c9-4965-aef6-2d5f01bb38f2\"> "
"drastically reduces the performances of machines running "
"Windows&nbsp;10</a>, and can't be disabled easily."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Amazon Ring &ldquo;security&rdquo; devices <a "
"href=\"https://www.engadget.com/2019-01-10-ring-gave-employees-access-customer-video-feeds.html\"> "
"send the video they capture to Amazon servers</a>, which save it long-term."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In many cases, the video shows everyone that comes near, or merely passes "
"by, the user's front door."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The article focuses on how Ring used to let individual employees look at the "
"videos freely.  It appears Amazon has tried to prevent that secondary abuse, "
"but the primary abuse&mdash;that Amazon gets the video&mdash;Amazon expects "
"society to surrender to."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The Weather Channel app <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/04/weather-channel-app-lawsuit-location-data-selling\"> "
"stored users' locations to the company's server</a>. The company is being "
"sued, demanding that it notify the users of what it will do with the data."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"We think that lawsuit is about a side issue. What the company does with the "
"data is a secondary issue. The principal wrong here is that the company gets "
"that data at all."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/gy77wy/stop-using-third-party-weather-apps\"> "
"Other weather apps</a>, including Accuweather and WeatherBug, are tracking "
"people's locations."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"New GM cars <a "
"href=\"https://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gmc/vehicles/canyon/2019.html\"> "
"offer the feature of a universal back door</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Every nonfree program offers the user zero security against its "
"developer. With this malfeature, GM has explicitly made things even worse."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Facebook's app got &ldquo;consent&rdquo; to <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/06/facebook-emails-reveal-discussions-over-call-log-consent\"> "
"upload call logs automatically from Android phones</a> while disguising what "
"the &ldquo;consent&rdquo; was for."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Many web sites use JavaScript code <a "
"href=\"https://gizmodo.com/before-you-hit-submit-this-company-has-already-logge-1795906081\"> "
"to snoop on information that users have typed into a form but not sent</a>, "
"in order to learn their identity. Some are <a "
"href=\"https://www.manatt.com/insights/newsletters/advertising-law/sites-illegally-tracked-consumers-new-suits-allege\"> "
"getting sued</a> for this."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The chat facilities of some customer services use the same sort of malware "
"to <a "
"href=\"https://gizmodo.com/be-warned-customer-service-agents-can-see-what-youre-t-1830688119\"> "
"read what the user is typing before it is posted</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Corel Paintshop Pro has a <a "
"href=\"https://torrentfreak.com/corel-wrongly-accuses-licensed-user-of-piracy-disables-software-remotely-181110/\"> "
"back door that can make it cease to function</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The article is full of confusions, errors and biases that we have an "
"obligation to expose, given that we are making a link to them."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li>
msgid ""
"Getting a patent does not &ldquo;enable&rdquo; a company to do any "
"particular thing in its products. What it does enable the company to do is "
"sue other companies if they do some particular thing in their products."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li>
msgid ""
"A company's policies about when to attack users through a back door are "
"beside the point. Inserting the back door is wrong in the first place, and "
"using the back door is always wrong too. No software developer should have "
"that power over users."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li>
msgid ""
"&ldquo;<a href=\"/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Piracy\">Piracy</a>&rdquo; "
"means attacking ships. Using that word to refer to sharing copies is a "
"smear; please don't smear sharing."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The idea of &ldquo;protecting our IP&rdquo; is total confusion. The term "
"&ldquo;IP&rdquo; itself is a <a href=\"/philosophy/not-ipr.html\">bogus "
"generalization about things that have nothing in common</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In addition, to speak of &ldquo;protecting&rdquo; that bogus generalization "
"is a separate absurdity. It's like calling the cops because neighbors' kids "
"are playing on your front yard, and saying that you're &ldquo;protecting the "
"boundary line&rdquo;. The kids can't do harm to the boundary line, not even "
"with a jackhammer, because it is an abstraction and can't be affected by "
"physical action."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Nearly all &ldquo;home security cameras&rdquo; <a "
"href=\"https://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/d-link-camera-poses-data-security-risk--consumer-reports-finds-a8814384448/\"> "
"give the manufacturer an unencrypted copy of everything they "
"see</a>. &ldquo;Home insecurity camera&rdquo; would be a better name!"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"When Consumer Reports tested them, it suggested that these manufacturers "
"promise not to look at what's in the videos. That's not security for your "
"home. Security means making sure they don't get to see through your camera."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Some Android apps <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20210418052600/https://www.androidauthority.com/apps-uninstall-trackers-917539/amp/\"> "
"track the phones of users that have deleted them</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Apple and Samsung deliberately <a "
"href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/24/apple-samsung-fined-for-slowing-down-phones\">degrade "
"the performance of older phones to force users to buy their newer "
"phones</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"GM <a href=\"https://boingboing.net/2018/10/23/dont-touch-that-dial.html\"> "
"tracked the choices of radio programs</a> in its &ldquo;connected&rdquo; "
"cars, minute by minute."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"GM did not get users' consent, but it could have got that easily by sneaking "
"it into the contract that users sign for some digital service or other. A "
"requirement for consent is effectively no protection."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The cars can also collect lots of other data: listening to you, watching "
"you, following your movements, tracking passengers' cell "
"phones. <em>All</em> such data collection should be forbidden."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"But if you really want to be safe, we must make sure the car's hardware "
"cannot collect any of that data, or that the software is free so we know it "
"won't collect any of that data."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Printer manufacturers are very innovative&mdash;at blocking the use of "
"independent replacement ink cartridges. Their &ldquo;security "
"upgrades&rdquo; occasionally impose new forms of cartridge DRM. <a "
"href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/pa98ab/printer-makers-are-crippling-cheap-ink-cartridges-via-bogus-security-updates\"> "
"HP and Epson have done this</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A nonfree video game, available through the nonfree Steam client, <a "
"href=\"https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/274552-great-now-games-are-hijacking-systems-with-cryptocurrency-miners\"> "
"included a &ldquo;miner&rdquo;</a>, i.e. an executable that hijacks the CPU "
"in users' computers to mine a cryptocurrency."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"A cracker used an exploit in outdated software to <a "
"href=\"https://www.pcmag.com/news/400-websites-secretly-served-cryptocurrency-miners-to-visitors\"> "
"inject a &ldquo;miner&rdquo; in web pages</a> served to visitors. This type "
"of malware hijacks the computer's processor to mine a cryptocurrency."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"<small>(Note that the article refers to the infected software as "
"&ldquo;content management system&rdquo;. A better term would be &ldquo;<a "
"href=\"/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Content\">website revision "
"system</a>&rdquo;.)</small>"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Since the miner was a nonfree JavaScript program, visitors wouldn't have "
"been affected if they had used <a "
"href=\"/software/librejs/index.html\">LibreJS</a>. Some browser extensions "
"that <a "
"href=\"https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/how-to-stop-sites-from-using-your-cpu-to-mine-coins/\"> "
"specifically block JavaScript miners</a> are also available."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Honeywell's &ldquo;smart&rdquo; thermostats communicate only through the "
"company's server. They have all the nasty characteristics of such devices: "
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com/honeywell-iot-thermostats-server-outage-2018-9\"> "
"surveillance, and danger of sabotage</a> (of a specific user, or of all "
"users at once), as well as the risk of an outage (which is what just "
"happened)."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In addition, setting the desired temperature requires running nonfree "
"software. With an old-fashioned thermostat, you can do it using controls "
"right on the thermostat."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Researchers have discovered how to <a "
"href=\"https://news.rub.de/english/press-releases/2018-09-24-it-security-secret-messages-alexa-and-co\"> "
"hide voice commands in other audio</a>, so that people cannot hear them, but "
"Alexa and Siri can."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Android has a <a "
"href=\"https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/14/17861150/google-battery-saver-android-9-pie-remote-settings-change\"> "
"back door for remotely changing &ldquo;user&rdquo; settings</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The article suggests it might be a universal back door, but this isn't "
"clear."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"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>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Learn how <a "
"href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20170319013045/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>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"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."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Red Shell is a spyware that is found in many proprietary games. It <a "
"href=\"https://nebulous.cloud/threads/red-shell-illegal-spyware-for-steam-games.31924/\"> "
"tracks data on users' computers and sends it to third parties</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"Blizzard Warden is a hidden &ldquo;cheating-prevention&rdquo; program that "
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2005/10/new-gaming-feature-spyware\"> "
"spies on every process running on a gamer's computer and sniffs a good deal "
"of personal data</a>, including lots of activities which have nothing to do "
"with cheating."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"The game Metal Gear Rising for MacOS was tethered to a server.  The company "
"<a "
"href=\"https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/400087-metal-gear-rising-mac-unplayable-drm\"> "
"shut down the server, and all copies stopped working</a>."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><ul><li><p>
msgid ""
"In MacOS and iOS, the procedure for <a "
"href=\"https://support.apple.com/guide/photos/export-photos-videos-and-slideshows-pht6e157c5f/mac\"> "
"converting images from the Photos format</a> to a free format is so tedious "
"and time-consuming that users just give up if they have a lot of them."
msgstr ""

#. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't have notes.
#. type: Content of: <div><div>
msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S NOTES*"
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><div><p>
msgid ""
"Please send general FSF &amp; GNU inquiries to <a "
"href=\"mailto:gnu@gnu.org\">&lt;gnu@gnu.org&gt;</a>.  There are also <a "
"href=\"/contact/\">other ways to contact</a> the FSF.  Broken links and "
"other corrections or suggestions can be sent to <a "
"href=\"mailto:webmasters@gnu.org\">&lt;webmasters@gnu.org&gt;</a>."
msgstr ""

#.  TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph,
#.         replace it with the translation of these two:
#
#.         We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality
#.         translations.  However, we are not exempt from imperfection.
#.         Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard
#.         to <a href="mailto:web-translators@gnu.org">
#
#.         &lt;web-translators@gnu.org&gt;</a>.</p>
#
#.         <p>For information on coordinating and contributing translations of
#.         our web pages, see <a
#.         href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
#.         README</a>. 
#. type: Content of: <div><div><p>
msgid ""
"Please see the <a "
"href=\"/server/standards/README.translations.html\">Translations README</a> "
"for information on coordinating and contributing translations of this "
"article."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><p>
msgid "Copyright &copy; 2018-2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc."
msgstr ""

#. type: Content of: <div><p>
msgid ""
"This page is licensed under a <a rel=\"license\" "
"href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\">Creative Commons "
"Attribution 4.0 International License</a>."
msgstr ""

#. TRANSLATORS: Use space (SPC) as msgstr if you don't want credits.
#. type: Content of: <div><div>
msgid "*GNUN-SLOT: TRANSLATOR'S CREDITS*"
msgstr ""

#.  timestamp start 
#. type: Content of: <div><p>
msgid "Updated:"
msgstr ""