msgid "Proprietary Tethers - 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 " [Section contents] " 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> / <a href=\"/proprietary/proprietary.html\">Malware</a> / By " "type /" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><h2> msgid "Proprietary Tethers" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Nonfree (proprietary) software is very often malware (designed to mistreat " "the user). Nonfree software is controlled by its developers, which puts them " "in a position of power over the users; <a " "href=\"/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html\">that is the " "basic injustice</a>. The developers and manufacturers often exercise that " "power to the detriment of the users they ought to serve." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "This typically takes the form of malicious functionalities." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Tethering a product or program means designing it to work only by " "communicating with a specific server. That is always an injustice since it " "means you can't use the program without that server. It is also a secondary " "injustice if you can't communicate with the server in another way." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "In some cases, tethering is used to do specific nasty things to the users. " "This page reports instances where tethering was used to harm the users " "directly." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><div><p> msgid "" "If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't here, " "please write to <a " "href=\"mailto:webmasters@gnu.org\"><webmasters@gnu.org></a> to inform " "us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or two to serve as " "specific substantiation." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><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><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<a href=\"/proprietary/uhd-bluray-denies-your-freedom.html\">UHD Blu-ray " "disks are loaded with malware of the worst kinds</a>. Among other things, " "they are encrypted with keys that must be retrieved from a remote " "server. This makes repeated updates and internet connections a requirement " "if the user purchases several UHD Blu-ray disks over time." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><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 “locked up” (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><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><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 “copyright violation”." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "Bungie's Destiny 2 is plagued with two major flaws:" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><div><ul><li><ul><li> msgid "" "Ever since Bungie chose BattlEye as an anti-cheat program, Destiny 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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "In Australia, people assume that “smart” means " "“tethered.” 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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "That's in addition to the nasty things tethered devices do when they are " "“functioning” normally—such as snoop on the commands sent " "to the device and the results they report." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "Smart <em>users</em> know better than to accept tethered devices." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><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 “plans” you can buy " "from Google, which include storing videos in the " "“cloud”—another word for someone else's computer." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><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><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><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><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><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "It may be a good thing to wipe out this product—for " "“smart,” read “snoop”—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><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 “advanced features” of the cooker unless they " "pay a monthly fee." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Wink sells a “smart” 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><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><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><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><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Ebooks “bought” from Microsoft's store check that their DRM is " "valid by connecting to the store every time their “owner” 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 “sold”</a>. (The article additionally " "highlights the pitfalls of DRM.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Honeywell's “smart” 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><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The Jawbone fitness tracker was tethered to a proprietary phone app. In " "2017, the company shut down and made the app stop working. <a " "href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/05/defunct-jawbone-fitness-trackers-kept-selling-after-app-closure-says-which\">All " "the existing trackers stopped working forever</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The article focuses on a further nasty fillip, that sales of the broken " "devices continued. But we think that is a secondary issue; it made the nasty " "consequences extend to some additional people. The fundamental wrong was to " "design the devices to depend on something else that didn't respect users' " "freedom." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Logitech will sabotage all Harmony Link household control devices by <a " "href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/11/logitech-to-shut-down-service-and-support-for-harmony-link-devices-in-2018/\"> " "turning off the server through which the products' supposed owners " "communicate with them</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The owners suspect this is to pressure them to buy a newer model. If they " "are wise, they will learn, rather, to distrust any product that requires " "users to talk with them through some specialized service." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Sony has brought back its robotic pet Aibo, this time <a " "href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/bj778v/sony-wants-to-sell-you-a-subscription-to-a-robot-dog-aibo-90s-pet\"> " "with a universal back door, and tethered to a server that requires a " "subscription</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The Canary home surveillance camera has been sabotaged by its manufacturer, " "<a " "href=\"https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/10/4/16426394/canary-smart-home-camera-free-service-update-change\"> " "turning off many features unless the user starts paying for a " "subscription</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "With manufacturers like these, who needs security breakers?" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The purchasers should learn the larger lesson and reject connected " "appliances with embedded proprietary software. Every such product is a " "temptation to commit sabotage." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Every “home security” camera, if its manufacturer can " "communicate with it, is a surveillance device. <a " "href=\"https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/10/4/16426394/canary-smart-home-camera-free-service-update-change\"> " "Canary camera is an example</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The article describes wrongdoing by the manufacturer, based on the fact that " "the device is tethered to a server." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<a href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-tethers.html\">More about proprietary " "tethering</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "But it also demonstrates that the device gives the company surveillance " "capability." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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&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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Bird and rabbit pets were implemented for Second Life by a company that " "tethered their food to a server. <a " "href=\"https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/second-life-ozimals-pet-rabbits-dying\"> " "It shut down the server and the pets more or less died</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Anova sabotaged users' cooking devices with a downgrade that tethered them " "to a remote server. <a " "href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20170415145520/https://consumerist.com/2017/04/12/anova-ticks-off-customers-by-requiring-mandatory-accounts-to-cook-food/\">Unless " "users create an account on Anova's servers, their cookers won't " "function</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "nVidia's proprietary GeForce Experience <a " "href=\"https://www.gamersnexus.net/industry/2672-geforce-experience-data-transfer-analysis\">makes " "users identify themselves and then sends personal data about them to nVidia " "servers</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The iMessage app on iThings <a " "href=\"https://theintercept.com/2016/09/28/apple-logs-your-imessage-contacts-and-may-share-them-with-police/\">tells " "a server every phone number that the user types into it</a>; the server " "records these numbers for at least 30 days." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "A half-blind security critique of a tracking app: it found that <a " "href=\"https://www.consumerreports.org/mobile-security-software/glow-pregnancy-app-exposed-women-to-privacy-threats-a1100919965/\"> " "blatant flaws allowed anyone to snoop on a user's personal data</a>. The " "critique fails entirely to express concern that the app sends the personal " "data to a server, where the <em>developer</em> gets it all. This " "“service” is for suckers!" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The server surely has a “privacy policy,” and surely it is " "worthless since nearly all of them are." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Revolv is a device that managed “smart home” operations: " "switching lights, operate motion sensors, regulating temperature, etc. Its " "proprietary software depends on a remote server to do these tasks. On May " "15th, 2016, Google/Alphabet <a " "href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/04/nest-reminds-customers-ownership-isnt-what-it-used-be\">intentionally " "broke it by shutting down the server</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "If it were free software, users would have the ability to make it work " "again, differently, and then have a freedom-respecting home instead of a " "“smart” home. Don't let proprietary software control your " "devices and turn them into $300 out-of-warranty bricks. Insist on " "self-contained computers that run free software!" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Adobe applications <a " "href=\"https://www.wired.com/2013/05/adobe-creative-cloud-petition/\"> " "require periodic connection to a server</a>." 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 & GNU inquiries to <a " "href=\"mailto:gnu@gnu.org\"><gnu@gnu.org></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\"><webmasters@gnu.org></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"> # #. <web-translators@gnu.org></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 © 2016-2025 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 ""

# LANGUAGE translation of https://www.gnu.org/proprietary/proprietary-tethers.html # Copyright (C) YEAR Free Software Foundation, Inc. # This file is distributed under the same license as the original article. # FIRST AUTHOR , YEAR. # #, fuzzy msgid "" msgstr "" "Project-Id-Version: proprietary-tethers.html\n" "POT-Creation-Date: 2025-03-11 17:55+0000\n" "PO-Revision-Date: YEAR-MO-DA HO:MI+ZONE\n" "Last-Translator: FULL NAME \n" "Language-Team: LANGUAGE \n" "Language: \n" "MIME-Version: 1.0\n" "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n" "Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit\n" #. type: Content of: msgid "Proprietary Tethers - 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 " [Section contents] " 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> / <a href=\"/proprietary/proprietary.html\">Malware</a> / By " "type /" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><h2> msgid "Proprietary Tethers" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Nonfree (proprietary) software is very often malware (designed to mistreat " "the user). Nonfree software is controlled by its developers, which puts them " "in a position of power over the users; <a " "href=\"/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html\">that is the " "basic injustice</a>. The developers and manufacturers often exercise that " "power to the detriment of the users they ought to serve." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "This typically takes the form of malicious functionalities." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "Tethering a product or program means designing it to work only by " "communicating with a specific server. That is always an injustice since it " "means you can't use the program without that server. It is also a secondary " "injustice if you can't communicate with the server in another way." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><p> msgid "" "In some cases, tethering is used to do specific nasty things to the users. " "This page reports instances where tethering was used to harm the users " "directly." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><div><p> msgid "" "If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't here, " "please write to <a " "href=\"mailto:webmasters@gnu.org\"><webmasters@gnu.org></a> to inform " "us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or two to serve as " "specific substantiation." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><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><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<a href=\"/proprietary/uhd-bluray-denies-your-freedom.html\">UHD Blu-ray " "disks are loaded with malware of the worst kinds</a>. Among other things, " "they are encrypted with keys that must be retrieved from a remote " "server. This makes repeated updates and internet connections a requirement " "if the user purchases several UHD Blu-ray disks over time." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><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 “locked up” (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><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><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 “copyright violation”." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "Bungie's Destiny 2 is plagued with two major flaws:" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><div><ul><li><ul><li> msgid "" "Ever since Bungie chose BattlEye as an anti-cheat program, Destiny 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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "In Australia, people assume that “smart” means " "“tethered.” 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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "That's in addition to the nasty things tethered devices do when they are " "“functioning” normally—such as snoop on the commands sent " "to the device and the results they report." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "Smart <em>users</em> know better than to accept tethered devices." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><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 “plans” you can buy " "from Google, which include storing videos in the " "“cloud”—another word for someone else's computer." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><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><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><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><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><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "It may be a good thing to wipe out this product—for " "“smart,” read “snoop”—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><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 “advanced features” of the cooker unless they " "pay a monthly fee." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Wink sells a “smart” 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><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><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><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><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Ebooks “bought” from Microsoft's store check that their DRM is " "valid by connecting to the store every time their “owner” 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 “sold”</a>. (The article additionally " "highlights the pitfalls of DRM.)" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Honeywell's “smart” 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><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The Jawbone fitness tracker was tethered to a proprietary phone app. In " "2017, the company shut down and made the app stop working. <a " "href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/05/defunct-jawbone-fitness-trackers-kept-selling-after-app-closure-says-which\">All " "the existing trackers stopped working forever</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The article focuses on a further nasty fillip, that sales of the broken " "devices continued. But we think that is a secondary issue; it made the nasty " "consequences extend to some additional people. The fundamental wrong was to " "design the devices to depend on something else that didn't respect users' " "freedom." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Logitech will sabotage all Harmony Link household control devices by <a " "href=\"https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/11/logitech-to-shut-down-service-and-support-for-harmony-link-devices-in-2018/\"> " "turning off the server through which the products' supposed owners " "communicate with them</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The owners suspect this is to pressure them to buy a newer model. If they " "are wise, they will learn, rather, to distrust any product that requires " "users to talk with them through some specialized service." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Sony has brought back its robotic pet Aibo, this time <a " "href=\"https://www.vice.com/en/article/bj778v/sony-wants-to-sell-you-a-subscription-to-a-robot-dog-aibo-90s-pet\"> " "with a universal back door, and tethered to a server that requires a " "subscription</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The Canary home surveillance camera has been sabotaged by its manufacturer, " "<a " "href=\"https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/10/4/16426394/canary-smart-home-camera-free-service-update-change\"> " "turning off many features unless the user starts paying for a " "subscription</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "With manufacturers like these, who needs security breakers?" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The purchasers should learn the larger lesson and reject connected " "appliances with embedded proprietary software. Every such product is a " "temptation to commit sabotage." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Every “home security” camera, if its manufacturer can " "communicate with it, is a surveillance device. <a " "href=\"https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/10/4/16426394/canary-smart-home-camera-free-service-update-change\"> " "Canary camera is an example</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The article describes wrongdoing by the manufacturer, based on the fact that " "the device is tethered to a server." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "<a href=\"/proprietary/proprietary-tethers.html\">More about proprietary " "tethering</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "But it also demonstrates that the device gives the company surveillance " "capability." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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&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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Bird and rabbit pets were implemented for Second Life by a company that " "tethered their food to a server. <a " "href=\"https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/second-life-ozimals-pet-rabbits-dying\"> " "It shut down the server and the pets more or less died</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Anova sabotaged users' cooking devices with a downgrade that tethered them " "to a remote server. <a " "href=\"https://web.archive.org/web/20170415145520/https://consumerist.com/2017/04/12/anova-ticks-off-customers-by-requiring-mandatory-accounts-to-cook-food/\">Unless " "users create an account on Anova's servers, their cookers won't " "function</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "nVidia's proprietary GeForce Experience <a " "href=\"https://www.gamersnexus.net/industry/2672-geforce-experience-data-transfer-analysis\">makes " "users identify themselves and then sends personal data about them to nVidia " "servers</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The iMessage app on iThings <a " "href=\"https://theintercept.com/2016/09/28/apple-logs-your-imessage-contacts-and-may-share-them-with-police/\">tells " "a server every phone number that the user types into it</a>; the server " "records these numbers for at least 30 days." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "A half-blind security critique of a tracking app: it found that <a " "href=\"https://www.consumerreports.org/mobile-security-software/glow-pregnancy-app-exposed-women-to-privacy-threats-a1100919965/\"> " "blatant flaws allowed anyone to snoop on a user's personal data</a>. The " "critique fails entirely to express concern that the app sends the personal " "data to a server, where the <em>developer</em> gets it all. This " "“service” is for suckers!" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "The server surely has a “privacy policy,” and surely it is " "worthless since nearly all of them are." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Revolv is a device that managed “smart home” operations: " "switching lights, operate motion sensors, regulating temperature, etc. Its " "proprietary software depends on a remote server to do these tasks. On May " "15th, 2016, Google/Alphabet <a " "href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/04/nest-reminds-customers-ownership-isnt-what-it-used-be\">intentionally " "broke it by shutting down the server</a>." msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "If it were free software, users would have the ability to make it work " "again, differently, and then have a freedom-respecting home instead of a " "“smart” home. Don't let proprietary software control your " "devices and turn them into $300 out-of-warranty bricks. Insist on " "self-contained computers that run free software!" msgstr "" #. type: Content of: <div><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><div><ul><li><p> msgid "" "Adobe applications <a " "href=\"https://www.wired.com/2013/05/adobe-creative-cloud-petition/\"> " "require periodic connection to a server</a>." 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 & GNU inquiries to <a " "href=\"mailto:gnu@gnu.org\"><gnu@gnu.org></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\"><webmasters@gnu.org></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"> # #. <web-translators@gnu.org></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 © 2016-2025 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 ""