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- <!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" --> <!-- Parent-Version: 1.79 1.86 --> <!-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please do not edit <ul class="blurbs">! Instead, edit /proprietary/workshop/mal.rec, then regenerate pages. See explanations in /proprietary/workshop/README.md. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --> <title>Proprietary Surveillance - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title> <style type="text/css" media="print,screen"><!-- .announcement { background: none; } #surveillance div.toc { width: 24.5em; max-width: 94%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin: 1em 0; } @media (min-width: 48em) { #surveillance div.toc { float: left; width: auto; max-width: 48%; margin: .2em 1.2em 0 1em; } #surveillance .medium { width: 43%; margin: 7em 0 1em 1.5em; } } --></style> <!-- GNUN: localize URL /graphics/dog.small.jpg --> <!--#include virtual="/proprietary/po/proprietary-surveillance.translist" --> <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" --> <h2>Proprietary Surveillance</h2> <p><a href="/proprietary/proprietary.html"> Other examples of proprietary malware</a></p> <div class="comment"> <p>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.</p> <div class="announcement"> <p>This document attempts <p>One common form of mistreatment is to track snoop on the user. This page records <strong>clearly established cases of proprietary software that spies on or tracks users</strong>.</p> <p><a href="/proprietary/proprietary.html"> Other examples users</strong>. Manufacturers even refuse to <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/19/smart-home-devices-hoard-data-government-demands/">say whether they snoop on users for the state</a>.</p> <p>All appliances and applications that are tethered to a specific server are snoopers by nature. We do not list them in this page because they have their own page: <a href="/proprietary/proprietary-tethers.html">Proprietary Tethers</a>.</p> <div class="important" style="margin-bottom: 2em"> <p>If you know of proprietary malware</a></p> 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.</p> </div> </div> <div id="surveillance"> <div class="pict medium"> <a href="/graphics/dog.html"> <img src="/graphics/dog.small.jpg" alt="Cartoon of a dog, wondering at the three ads that popped up on his computer screen..." /></a> <p>“How did they find out I'm a dog?”</p> </div> <div class="toc"> <h3 id="TableOfContents">Table of Contents</h3> <ul> <li><a href="#Introduction">Introduction</a></li> <li><a href="#OSSpyware">Spyware in Operating Systems</a> Laptops and Desktops</a> <ul> <li><a href="#SpywareInWindows">Spyware in Windows</a></li> href="#SpywareInWindows">Windows</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInMacOS">Spyware in MacOS</a></li> href="#SpywareInMacOS">MacOS</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInAndroid">Spyware in Android</a></li> href="#SpywareInBIOS">BIOS</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="#SpywareOnMobiles">Spyware on Mobiles</a> <ul> <li><a href="#SpywareIniThings">Spyware in iThings</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInTelephones">Spyware in Telephones</a></li> href="#SpywareInTelephones">All “Smart” Phones</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInMobileApps">Spyware in Mobile Applications</a></li> href="#SpywareIniThings">iThings</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInGames">Spyware in Games</a></li> href="#SpywareInAndroid">Android Telephones</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInToys">Spyware in Toys</a></li> href="#SpywareInElectronicReaders">E-Readers</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="#SpywareAtLowLevel">Spyware at Low Level</a> href="#SpywareInApplications">Spyware in Applications</a> <ul> <li><a href="#SpywareInBIOS">Spyware in BIOS</a></li> <!-- href="#SpywareInDesktopApps">Desktop Apps</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInFirmware">Spyware in Firmware</a></li> --> </ul> </li> href="#SpywareInMobileApps">Mobile Apps</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareAtWork">Spyware at Work</a> <ul> href="#SpywareInSkype">Skype</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInSkype">Spyware in Skype</a></li> href="#SpywareInGames">Games</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="#SpywareOnTheRoad">Spyware on the Road</a> href="#SpywareInEquipment">Spyware in Connected Equipment</a> <ul> <li><a href="#SpywareInCameras">Spyware in Cameras</a></li> href="#SpywareInTVSets">TV Sets</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInElectronicReaders">Spyware in e-Readers</a></li> href="#SpywareInCameras">Cameras</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInVehicles">Spyware in Vehicles</a></li> </ul> </li> href="#SpywareInToys">Toys</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareAtHome">Spyware at Home</a> href="#SpywareInDrones">Drones</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareAtHome">Other Appliances</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareOnWearables">Wearables</a> <ul> <li><a href="#SpywareInTVSets">Spyware in TV Sets</a></li> href="#SpywareOnSmartWatches">“Smart” Watches</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="#SpywareAtPlay">Spyware at Play</a></li> href="#SpywareInVehicles">Vehicles</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInVR">Virtual Reality</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="#SpywareOnTheWeb">Spyware on the Web</a> <ul> <li><a href="#SpywareInChrome">Spyware in Chrome</a></li> href="#SpywareInChrome">Chrome</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInFlash">Spyware in Flash</a></li> href="#SpywareInJavaScript">JavaScript</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInFlash">Flash</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="#SpywareEverywhere">Spyware Everywhere</a></li> <li><a href="#SpywareInVR">Spyware In VR</a></li> href="#SpywareInNetworks">Spyware in Networks</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <!-- #Introduction --> </div> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="Introduction">Introduction</h3> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <p>For decades, the Free Software movement has been denouncing the abusive surveillance machine of <a href="/proprietary/proprietary.html">proprietary software</a> companies such as <a href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html">Microsoft</a> and <a href="/proprietary/malware-apple.html">Apple</a>. In the recent years, this tendency to watch people has spread across industries, not only in the software business, but also in the hardware. Moreover, it also spread dramatically away from the keyboard, in the mobile computing industry, in the office, at home, in transportation systems, and in the classroom.</p> <h3 <h4 id="AggregateInfoCollection">Aggregate Information Collection</h3> or anonymized data</h4> <p>Many companies, in their privacy policy, have a clause that claims they share aggregate, non-personally identifiable information with third parties/partners. Such claims are worthless, for several reasons:</p> <ul> <li>They could change the policy at any time.</li> <li>They can twist the words by distributing an “aggregate” of “anonymized” data which can be reidentified and attributed to individuals.</li> <li>The raw data they don't normally distribute can be taken by data breaches.</li> <li>The raw data they don't normally distribute can be taken by subpoena.</li> </ul> <p>Therefore, we must never pay any attention to not be distracted by companies' statements of what companies say they will <em>do</em> with the data they collect. The wrong is that they collect it at all.</p> <h3 <h4 id="LatestAdditions">Latest additions</h3> <p>Latest additions additions</h4> <p>Entries in each category are found in reverse chronological order, based on top under each category.</p> <!-- #OSSpyware --> <!-- WEBMASTERS: make sure to place new items the dates of publication of linked articles. The latest additions are listed on top under each subsection --> the <a href="/proprietary/proprietary.html#latest">main page</a> of the Malware section.</p> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="OSSpyware">Spyware in Operating Systems</h3> Laptops and Desktops</h3> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#OSSpyware">#OSSpyware</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInWindows">Spyware in Windows</h4> id="SpywareInWindows">Windows</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInWindows">#SpywareInWindows</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li><p>Windows DRM files <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201712110"> <p>HP's proprietary operating system <a href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/02/02/231229/windows-drm-protected-files-used-to-decloak-tor-browser-users">can be used to identify people browsing through Tor</a>. The vulnerability exists only if you use Windows. </p></li> <li><p>By default, Windows href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-42309371">includes a proprietary keyboard driver with a key logger in it</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201710134"> <p>Windows 10 <a href="http://betanews.com/2016/11/24/microsoft-shares-windows-10-telemetry-data-with-third-parties">sends debugging telemetry program sends information to Microsoft, including core dumps</a>. Microsoft now distributes them to another company.</p></li> <li><p>Some portable phones <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kryptowire-discovered-mobile-phone-firmware-that-transmitted-personally-identifiable-information-pii-without-user-consent-or-disclosure-300362844.html">are sold with spyware sending lots about the user's computer and their use of data the computer.</p> <p>Furthermore, for users who installed the fourth stable build of Windows 10, called the “Creators Update,” Windows maximized the surveillance <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/10/dutch-privacy-regulator-says-that-windows-10-breaks-the-law"> by force setting the telemetry mode to “Full”</a>.</p> <p>The <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/configure-windows-diagnostic-data-in-your-organization#full-level"> “Full” telemetry mode</a> allows Microsoft Windows engineers to access, among other things, registry keys <a href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc939702.aspx">which can contain sensitive information like administrator's login password</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201702020"> <p>DRM-restricted files can be used to <a href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/02/02/231229/windows-drm-protected-files-used-to-decloak-tor-browser-users"> identify people browsing through Tor</a>. The vulnerability exists only if you use Windows.</p> </li> <li id="M201611240"> <p>By default, Windows 10 <a href="http://betanews.com/2016/11/24/microsoft-shares-windows-10-telemetry-data-with-third-parties">sends debugging information to Microsoft, including core dumps</a>. Microsoft now distributes them to China</a>.</p></li> <li>In another company.</p> </li> <li id="M201608170.1"> <p>In order to increase Windows 10's install base, Microsoft <a class="not-a-duplicate" href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/08/windows-10-microsoft-blatantly-disregards-user-choice-and-privacy-deep-dive"> blatantly disregards user choice and privacy</a>. privacy</a>.</p> </li> <li><p><a <li id="M201603170"> <p><a href="https://duo.com/blog/bring-your-own-dilemma-oem-laptops-and-windows-10-security"> Windows 10 comes with 13 screens of snooping options</a>, all enabled by default, and turning them off would be daunting to most users.</p></li> <li><p><a href="https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/"> Microsoft has already backdoored its disk encryption</a>.</p></li> <li>It users.</p> </li> <li id="M201601050"> <p>It appears <a href="http://www.ghacks.net/2016/01/05/microsoft-may-be-collecting-more-data-than-initially-thought/"> Windows 10 sends data to Microsoft about what applications are running</a>.</li> <li><p>A running</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201512280"> <p>Microsoft has <a href="https://theintercept.com/2015/12/28/recently-bought-a-windows-computer-microsoft-probably-has-your-encryption-key/"> backdoored its disk encryption</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201511264"> <p>A downgrade to Windows 10 deleted surveillance-detection applications. Then another downgrade inserted a general spying program. Users noticed this and complained, so Microsoft renamed it <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160407082751/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/26/microsoft_renamed_data_slurper_reinserted_windows_10/"> href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/26/microsoft_renamed_data_slurper_reinserted_windows_10/"> to give users the impression it was gone</a>.</p> <p>To use proprietary software is to invite such treatment.</p> </li> <li><p> <li id="M201508180"> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150905163414/http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/134954-cortana-is-always-listening-with-new-wake-on-voice-tech-even-when-windows-10-is-sleeping"> Intel devices will be able to listen for speech all the time, even when “off.”</a></p> </li> <li id="M201508130"> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/08/even-when-told-not-to-windows-10-just-cant-stop-talking-to-microsoft/"> Windows 10 sends identifiable information to Microsoft</a>, even if a user turns off its Bing search and Cortana features, and activates the privacy-protection settings.</p> </li> <li id="M201507300"> <p>Windows 10 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20151001035410/https://jonathan.porta.codes/2015/07/30/windows-10-seems-to-have-some-scary-privacy-defaults/"> href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180923125732/https://jonathan.porta.codes/2015/07/30/windows-10-seems-to-have-some-scary-privacy-defaults/"> ships with default settings that show no regard for the privacy of its users</a>, giving Microsoft the “right” to snoop on the users' files, text input, voice input, location info, contacts, calendar records and web browsing history, as well as automatically connecting the machines to open hotspots and showing targeted ads.</p></li> <li><p> <a href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/08/even-when-told-not-to-windows-10-just-cant-stop-talking-to-microsoft/"> Windows 10 sends identifiable information to Microsoft</a>, even if a user turns off its Bing search and Cortana features, and activates the privacy-protection settings.</p></li> <li><p> ads.</p> <p>We can suppose Microsoft look at users' files for the US government on demand, though the “privacy policy” does not explicitly say so. Will it look at users' files for the Chinese government on demand?</p> </li> <li id="M201506170"> <p>Microsoft uses Windows 10's “privacy policy” to overtly impose a “right” to look at users' files at any time. Windows 10 full disk encryption <a href="https://edri.org/microsofts-new-small-print-how-your-personal-data-abused/"> gives Microsoft a key</a>.</p> <p>Thus, Windows is overt malware in regard to surveillance, as in other issues.</p> <p>We can suppose Microsoft look at users' files for the US government on demand, though the “privacy policy” does not explicit say so. Will it look at users' files for the Chinese government on demand?</p> <p>The unique “advertising ID” for each user enables other companies to track the browsing of each specific user.</p> <p>It's as if Microsoft has deliberately chosen to make Windows 10 maximally evil on every dimension; to make a grab for total power over anyone that doesn't drop Windows now.</p></li> <li><p>It now.</p> </li> <li id="M201410040"> <p>It only gets worse with time. <a href="http://www.techworm.net/2014/10/microsofts-windows-10-permission-watch-every-move.html"> Windows 10 requires users to give permission for total snooping</a>, including their files, their commands, their text input, and their voice input.</p> </li> <li><p><a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/2611451/microsoft-windows/a-look-at-the-black-underbelly-of-windows-8-1--blue-.html"> <li id="M201401150"> <p id="baidu-ime"><a href="https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/asian-technology/japanese-government-warns-baidu-ime-is-spying-on-users/"> Baidu's Japanese-input and Chinese-input apps spy on users</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201307080"> <p>Spyware in older versions of Windows: <a href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/02/28/windows_update_keeps_tabs/"> Windows Update snoops on the user</a>. <a href="https://www.infoworld.com/article/2611451/a-look-at-the-black-underbelly-of-windows-8-1--blue-.html"> Windows 8.1 snoops on local searches.</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>And searches</a>. And there's a <a href="http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article40836.html"> secret NSA key in Windows</a>, whose functions we don't know.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Microsoft's snooping on users did not start with Windows 10. There's a lot more <a href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html"> Microsoft malware</a>.</p> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInMacOS">Spyware in MacOS</h4> id="SpywareInMacOS">MacOS</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInMacOS">#SpywareInMacOS</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li><p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/10/30/how-one-mans-private-files-ended-up-on-apples-icloud-without-his-consent/"> MacOS automatically sends to Apple servers unsaved documents being edited</a>. The <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201809070"> <p>Adware Doctor, an ad blocker for MacOS, <a href="https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2014/10/apple_copies_yo.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter/"> things you have not decided to save are even more sensitive than href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/wjye8x/mac-anti-adware-doctor-app-steals-browsing-history">reports the things you have stored in files</a>.</p> user's browsing history</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Apple <li id="M201411040"> <p>Apple has made various <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/04/apple-data-privacy-icloud"> MacOS programs send files to Apple servers without asking permission</a>. This exposes the files to Big Brother and perhaps to other snoops.</p> <p>It also demonstrates how you can't trust proprietary software, because even if today's version doesn't have a malicious functionality, tomorrow's version might add it. The developer won't remove the malfeature unless many users push back hard, and the users can't remove it themselves.</p> </li> <li><p>Various operations in <a href="http://lifehacker.com/safari-and-spotlight-can-send-data-to-apple-heres-how-1648453540"> the latest <li id="M201410300"> <p> MacOS send reports automatically <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170831144456/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2014/10/30/how-one-mans-private-files-ended-up-on-apples-icloud-without-his-consent/"> sends to Apple</a> servers.</p> Apple servers unsaved documents being edited</a>. The things you have not decided to save are <a href="https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2014/10/apple_copies_yo.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter/"> even more sensitive</a> than the things you have stored in files.</p> </li> <li><p>Apple <li id="M201410220"> <p>Apple admits the <a href="http://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/spotlight-suggestions-in-os-x-yosemite-and-ios-are-you-staying-private/"> spying in a search facility</a>, but there's a lot <a href="https://github.com/fix-macosx/yosemite-phone-home"> more snooping that Apple has not talked about</a>.</p> </li> <li><p><a <li id="M201410200"> <p>Various operations in <a href="http://lifehacker.com/safari-and-spotlight-can-send-data-to-apple-heres-how-1648453540"> the latest MacOS send reports to Apple</a> servers.</p> </li> <li id="M201401100.1"> <p><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/privacy-advocates-worry-over-new-apple-iphone-tracking-feature-161836223.html"> Spotlight search</a> sends users' search terms to Apple.</p> </li> </ul> <p>There's a lot more <a href="#SpywareIniThings">iThing spyware</a>, and <a href="/proprietary/malware-apple.html">Apple malware</a>.</p> <div class="big-subsection"> <span id="SpywareAtLowLevel"></span> <h4 id="SpywareInAndroid">Spyware in Android</h4> id="SpywareInBIOS">BIOS</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInAndroid">#SpywareInAndroid</a>)</span> href="#SpywareInBIOS">#SpywareInBIOS</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201509220"> <p><a href="http://www.privmetrics.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wisec2015.pdf">A study in 2015</a> found href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2984889/lenovo-collects-usage-data-on-thinkpad-thinkcentre-and-thinkstation-pcs.html"> Lenovo stealthily installed crapware and spyware via BIOS</a> on Windows installs. Note that 90% of the top-ranked gratis proprietary Android apps contained recognizable tracking libraries. For the paid proprietary apps, it was only 60%.</p> <p>The article confusingly describes gratis apps as “free”, but most of them are specific sabotage method Lenovo used did not in fact <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a>. It also uses the ugly word “monetize”. A good replacement for that word affect GNU/Linux; also, a “clean” Windows install is “exploit”; nearly always that will fit perfectly.</p> </li> <li> <p>Apps for BART not really clean since <a href="https://consumerist.com/2017/05/23/passengers-say-commuter-rail-app-illegally-collects-personal-user-data/">snoop href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html">Microsoft puts in its own malware</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareOnMobiles">Spyware on users</a>.</p> <p>With free software apps, users could <em>make sure</em> that they don't snoop.</p> <p>With Mobiles</h3> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareOnMobiles">#SpywareOnMobiles</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInTelephones">All “Smart” Phones</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInTelephones">#SpywareInTelephones</a>)</span> </div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201601110"> <p>The natural extension of monitoring people through “their” phones is <a href="http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2016/01/fool-activity-tracker.html"> proprietary apps, one can only hope that software to make sure they don't.</p> can't “fool” the monitoring</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>A study found 234 Android apps that track users by <a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/234-android-applications-are-currently-using-ultrasonic-beacons-to-track-users/">listening <li id="M201510050"> <p>According to ultrasound from beacons placed in stores or played by TV programs</a>. </p> </li> <li> <p>Pairs of Android apps Edward Snowden, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34444233">agencies can collude take over smartphones</a> by sending hidden text messages which enable them to transmit users' personal data turn the phones on and off, listen to servers. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/04/when-apps-collude-to-steal-your-data/522177/">A study found tens of thousands of pairs that collude</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Google Play intentionally sends app developers <a href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/google-play-store-policy-raises-privacy-concerns-331116"> the personal details of users that install microphone, retrieve geo-location data from the app</a>.</p> <p>Merely asking GPS, take photographs, read text messages, read call, location and web browsing history, and read the “consent” of users contact list. This malware is not enough designed to legitimize actions like this. At disguise itself from investigation.</p> </li> <li id="M201311120"> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180816030205/http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/privacy-scandal-nsa-can-spy-on-smart-phone-data-a-920971.html"> The NSA can tap data in smart phones, including iPhones, Android, and BlackBerry</a>. While there is not much detail here, it seems that this point, most users have stopped reading does not operate via the “Terms and Conditions” universal back door that spell out what they we know nearly all portable phones have. It may involve exploiting various bugs. There are “consenting” to. Google should clearly and honestly identify the information it collects on users, instead <a href="http://www.osnews.com/story/27416/The_second_operating_system_hiding_in_every_mobile_phone"> lots of hiding it in an obscurely worded EULA.</p> <p>However, to truly protect people's privacy, we must prevent Google and other companies from getting this personal information bugs in the first place!</p> phones' radio software</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Google Play (a component of Android) <li id="M201307000"> <p>Portable phones with GPS <a href="https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/235594-yes-google-play-is-tracking-you-and-thats-just-the-tip-of-a-very-large-iceberg"> tracks the users' movements without href="http://www.aclu.org/government-location-tracking-cell-phones-gps-devices-and-license-plate-readers"> will send their permission</a>.</p> <p>Even if you disable Google Maps and GPS location tracking, you must disable Google Play itself to completely on remote command, and users cannot stop the tracking. This is yet another example of nonfree software pretending them</a>. (The US says it will eventually require all new portable phones to obey the user, have GPS.)</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareIniThings">iThings</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareIniThings">#SpywareIniThings</a>)</span> </div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201906030"> <p>Apple can <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2019/06/03/apples-new-find-my-app/"> track iMonsters even when it's actually doing something else. Such a thing would they are suspended</a>.</p> <p>This distributed bluetooth network is said to be almost unthinkable with free software.</p> </li> <li><p>More than 73% of “secure,” but it is obviously <em>not</em> secure from Apple or from governments that can command Apple's obedience (such as the most popular Android apps <a href="http://jots.pub/a/2015103001/index.php">share personal, behavioral US and location information</a> of their users with third parties.</p> China).</p> </li> <li><p>“Cryptic communication,” unrelated <li id="M201905280"> <p>In spite of Apple's supposed commitment to the app's functionality, was <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2015/data-transferred-android-apps-hiding-1119"> found in the 500 most popular gratis Android apps</a>.</p> <p>The article should not have described these privacy, iPhone apps as “free”—they contain trackers that are not free software. The clear way busy at night <a href="https://freediggz.com/2019/05/28/perspective-its-the-middle-of-the-night-do-you-know-who-your-iphone-is-talking-to/"> sending users' personal information to say “zero price” is “gratis.”</p> third parties</a>.</p> <p>The article takes for granted that mentions specific examples: Microsoft OneDrive, Intuit's Mint, Nike, Spotify, The Washington Post, The Weather Channel (owned by IBM), the usual analytics tools are legitimate, but crime-alert service Citizen, Yelp and DoorDash. But it is likely that valid? Software developers have 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 right to analyze telling what users are doing or how. “Analytics” tools that snoop are just as wrong as any other snooping.</p> it will be used for.</p> </li> <li><p>Gratis Android apps (but not <li id="M201711250"> <p>The DMCA and the EU Copyright Directive make it <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a>) connect href="https://boingboing.net/2017/11/25/la-la-la-cant-hear-you.html"> illegal to 100 <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/06/free-android-apps-connect-tracking-advertising-websites">tracking and advertising</a> URLs, study how iOS cr…apps spy on users</a>, because this would require circumventing the average.</p> iOS DRM.</p> </li> <li><p>Spyware is present in some Android devices when they are sold. Some Motorola phones modify Android to <a href="http://www.beneaththewaves.net/Projects/Motorola_Is_Listening.html"> send personal data to Motorola</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Some manufacturers add a <li id="M201709210"> <p>In the latest iThings system, “turning off” WiFi and Bluetooth the obvious way <a href="http://androidsecuritytest.com/features/logs-and-services/loggers/carrieriq/"> hidden general surveillance package such as Carrier IQ.</a></p> </li> <li><p><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html#samsung"> Samsung's back door</a> provides access href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/sep/21/ios-11-apple-toggling-wifi-bluetooth-control-centre-doesnt-turn-them-off"> doesn't really turn them off</a>. A more advanced way really does turn them off—only until 5am. That's Apple for you—“We know you want to any file on the system.</p> be spied on”.</p> </li> </ul> <!-- #SpywareOnMobiles --> <!-- WEBMASTERS: make sure to place new items on top under each subsection --> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareOnMobiles">Spyware on Mobiles</h3> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareOnMobiles">#SpywareOnMobiles</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareIniThings">Spyware in iThings</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareIniThings">#SpywareIniThings</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li><p>Apple <li id="M201702150"> <p>Apple proposes <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/15/apple-removing-iphone-home-button-fingerprint-scanning-screen">a fingerprint-scanning touch screen</a> — which screen</a>—which would mean no way to use it without having your fingerprints taken. Users would have no way to tell whether the phone is snooping on them.</p></li> <li><p>iPhones them.</p> </li> <li id="M201611170"> <p>iPhones <a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/11/17/iphones-secretly-send-call-history-to-apple-security-firm-says">send href="https://theintercept.com/2016/11/17/iphones-secretly-send-call-history-to-apple-security-firm-says/">send lots of personal data to Apple's servers</a>. Big Brother can get them from there.</p> </li> <li><p>The <li id="M201609280"> <p>The iMessage app on iThings <a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/09/28/apple-logs-your-imessage-contacts-and-may-share-them-with-police/">tells a server every phone number that the user types into it</a>; the server records these numbers for at least 30 days.</p> </li> <li><p>Users cannot make an Apple ID <a href="http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/49951/how-can-i-download-free-apps-without-registering-an-apple-idcool">(necessary to install even gratis apps)</a> without giving a valid email address and receiving the code Apple sends to it.</p> </li> <li><p>Around 47% of the most popular iOS apps <a class="not-a-duplicate" href="http://jots.pub/a/2015103001/index.php">share personal, behavioral and location information</a> of their users with third parties.</p> </li> <li><p>iThings <li id="M201509240"> <p>iThings automatically upload to Apple's servers all the photos and videos they make.</p> <blockquote><p> iCloud Photo Library stores every photo and video you take, and keeps them up to date on all your devices. Any edits you make are automatically updated everywhere. [...] […] </p></blockquote> <p>(From <a href="https://www.apple.com/icloud/photos/">Apple's iCloud information</a> as accessed on 24 Sep 2015.) The iCloud feature is <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202033">activated by the startup of iOS</a>. The term “cloud” means “please don't ask where.”</p> <p>There is a way to <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201104"> deactivate iCloud</a>, but it's active by default so it still counts as a surveillance functionality.</p> <p>Unknown people apparently took advantage of this to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/sep/01/naked-celebrity-hack-icloud-backup-jennifer-lawrence">get nude photos of many celebrities</a>. They needed to break Apple's security to get at them, but NSA can access any of them through <a href="/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html#digitalcash">PRISM</a>. </p></li> <li><p>Spyware in iThings: href="/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html#digitalcash">PRISM</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201409220"> <p>Apple can, and regularly does, <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/05/new-guidelines-outline-what-iphone-data-apple-can-give-to-police/"> remotely extract some data from iPhones for the state</a>.</p> <p>This may have improved with <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/2014/09/17/2612af58-3ed2-11e4-b03f-de718edeb92f_story.html"> iOS 8 security improvements</a>; but <a href="https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/09/22/apple-data/"> not as much as Apple claims</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201407230"> <p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/23/iphone-backdoors-surveillance-forensic-services"> Several “features” of iOS seem to exist for no possible purpose other than surveillance</a>. Here is the <a href="http://www.zdziarski.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/iOS_Backdoors_Attack_Points_Surveillance_Mechanisms_Moved.pdf"> Technical presentation</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201401100"> <p>The <a class="not-a-duplicate" href="http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/privacy-advocates-worry-over-new-apple-iphone-tracking-feature-161836223.html"> iBeacon</a> lets stores determine exactly where the iThing is, and get other info too.</p> </li> <li><p>There <li id="M201312300"> <p><a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-30/how-nsa-hacks-your-iphone-presenting-dropout-jeep"> Either Apple helps the NSA snoop on all the data in an iThing, or it is totally incompetent</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201308080"> <p>The iThing also <a href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/08/08/ios7_tracking_now_its_a_favourite_feature/"> tells Apple its geolocation</a> by default, though that can be turned off.</p> </li> <li id="M201210170"> <p>There is also a feature for web sites to track users, which is <a href="http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/10/17/how-to-disable-apple-ios-user-tracking-ios-6/"> enabled by default</a>. (That article talks about iOS 6, but it is still true in iOS 7.)</p> </li> <li><p>The iThing also <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160313215042/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/08/08/ios7_tracking_now_its_a_favourite_feature/"> tells <li id="M201204280"> <p>Users cannot make an Apple its geolocation</a> by default, though that can be turned off.</p> </li> <li><p>Apple can, ID (<a href="https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/49951/how-can-i-download-free-apps-without-registering-an-apple-id">necessary to install even gratis apps</a>) without giving a valid email address and regularly does, <a href="http://arstechnica.com/apple/2014/05/new-guidelines-outline-what-iphone-data-apple-can-give-to-police/"> remotely extract some data from iPhones for receiving the state</a>.</p> </li> <li><p><a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-30/how-nsa-hacks-your-iphone-presenting-dropout-jeep"> Either verification code Apple helps the NSA snoop on all the data in an iThing, or it is totally incompetent.</a></p> </li> <li><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/23/iphone-backdoors-surveillance-forensic-services"> Several “features” of iOS seem sends to exist for no possible purpose other than surveillance</a>. Here is the <a href="http://www.zdziarski.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/iOS_Backdoors_Attack_Points_Surveillance_Mechanisms_Moved.pdf"> Technical presentation</a>.</p> it.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInTelephones">Spyware in id="SpywareInAndroid">Android Telephones</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInTelephones">#SpywareInTelephones</a>)</span> href="#SpywareInAndroid">#SpywareInAndroid</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li><p>According to Edward Snowden, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34444233">agencies can take over smartphones</a> by sending hidden text messages which enable them to turn <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201904130"> <p>Google tracks the phones on movements of Android phones, and off, listen to sometimes <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/13/us/google-location-tracking-police.html"> saves the microphone, retrieve geo-location data from for years</a>.</p> <p>Nonfree software in the GPS, take photographs, read text messages, read call, location and web browsing history, and read phone has to be responsible for sending the contact list. This malware is designed location data to disguise itself from investigation.</p> Google.</p> </li> <li><p>Samsung phones come with <li id="M201812060"> <p>Facebook's app got “consent” to <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/07/samsung-sued-for-loading-devices-with-unremovable-crapware-in-china/">apps that users can't delete</a>, and they 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 “consent” was for.</p> </li> <li id="M201811230"> <p>An Android phone was observed to track location even while in airplane mode. It didn't send so much the location data that their transmission is a substantial expense 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>.</p> </li> <li id="M201711210"> <p>Android tracks location for users. Said transmission, not wanted or requested by Google <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20171121/09030238658/investigation-finds-google-collected-location-data-even-with-location-services-turned-off.shtml"> even when “location services” are turned off, even when the user, clearly must constitute spying of some kind.</p></li> <li><p>A Motorola phone has no SIM card</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201611150"> <p>Some portable phones <a href="http://www.itproportal.com/2013/07/25/motorolas-new-x8-arm-chip-underpinning-the-always-on-future-of-android/"> listens href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kryptowire-discovered-mobile-phone-firmware-that-transmitted-personally-identifiable-information-pii-without-user-consent-or-disclosure-300362844.html">are sold with spyware sending lots of data to China</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201609140"> <p>Google Play (a component of Android) <a href="https://www.extremetech.com/mobile/235594-yes-google-play-is-tracking-you-and-thats-just-the-tip-of-a-very-large-iceberg"> tracks the users' movements without their permission</a>.</p> <p>Even if you disable Google Maps and location tracking, you must disable Google Play itself to completely stop the tracking. This is yet another example of nonfree software pretending to obey the user, when it's actually doing something else. Such a thing would be almost unthinkable with free software.</p> </li> <li id="M201507030"> <p>Samsung phones come with <a href="http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/07/samsung-sued-for-loading-devices-with-unremovable-crapware-in-china/">apps that users can't delete</a>, and they send so much data that their transmission is a substantial expense for voice all users. Said transmission, not wanted or requested by the time</a>.</p> user, clearly must constitute spying of some kind.</p> </li> <li id="M201403120"> <p><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html#samsung"> Samsung's back door</a> provides access to any file on the system.</p> </li> <li><p>Spyware <li id="M201308010"> <p>Spyware in Android phones (and Windows? laptops): The Wall Street Journal (in an article blocked from us by a paywall) reports that <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/1/4580718/fbi-can-remotely-activate-android-and-laptop-microphones-reports-wsj"> the FBI can remotely activate the GPS and microphone in Android phones and laptops</a>. (I suspect this means Windows laptops.) Here is <a href="http://cryptome.org/2013/08/fbi-hackers.htm">more info</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Portable phones with GPS will send their GPS location on remote command and users cannot stop them: <a href="http://www.aclu.org/government-location-tracking-cell-phones-gps-devices-and-license-plate-readers"> http://www.aclu.org/government-location-tracking-cell-phones-gps-devices-and-license-plate-readers</a>. (The US says it will eventually require all new portable phones to have GPS.)</p> </li> <li><p>The nonfree Snapchat app's principal purpose <li id="M201307280"> <p>Spyware is to restrict the present in some Android devices when they are sold. Some Motorola phones, made when this company was owned by Google, use a modified version of Android that <a href="http://www.beneaththewaves.net/Projects/Motorola_Is_Listening.html"> sends personal data on to Motorola</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201307250"> <p>A Motorola phone <a href="http://www.itproportal.com/2013/07/25/motorolas-new-x8-arm-chip-underpinning-the-always-on-future-of-android/"> listens for voice all the user's computer, but it does surveillance too: time</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201302150"> <p>Google Play intentionally sends app developers <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/27/snapchat-may-be-exposed-hackers"> it tries to get href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/google-play-store-policy-raises-privacy-concerns-331116"> the user's list personal details of other people's phone numbers.</a></p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInMobileApps">Spyware in Mobile Applications</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInMobileApps">#SpywareInMobileApps</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li> <p>Faceapp appears to do lots users that install the app</a>.</p> <p>Merely asking the “consent” of surveillance, judging by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/04/26/everything-thats-wrong-with-faceapp-the-latest-creepy-photo-app-for-your-face/"> how much access it demands users is not enough to personal data in legitimize actions like this. At this point, most users have stopped reading the device</a>. </p> </li> <li> <p>Verizon <a href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/03/30/0112259/verizon-to-force-appflash-spyware-on-android-phones"> announced an opt-in proprietary search app “Terms and Conditions” that spell out what they are “consenting” to. Google should clearly and honestly identify the information it will</a> pre-install collects on some users, instead of its phones. The app will give Verizon the same information about the users' searches that hiding it in an obscurely worded EULA.</p> <p>However, to truly protect people's privacy, we must prevent Google normally gets when they use its search engine.</p> <p>Currently, the app is <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/04/update-verizons-appflash-pre-installed-spyware-still-spyware"> being pre-installed on only one phone</a>, and other companies from getting this personal information in the user must explicitly opt-in before the app takes effect. However, the app remains spyware—an “optional” piece of spyware is still spyware.</p> first place!</p> </li> <li><p>The Meitu photo-editing app <a href="https://theintercept.com/2017/01/21/popular-selfie-app-sending-user-data-to-china-researchers-say/">sends user data to <li id="M201111170"> <p>Some manufacturers add a Chinese company</a>.</p></li> <li><p>A pregnancy test controller application not only <a href="http://androidsecuritytest.com/features/logs-and-services/loggers/carrieriq/"> hidden general surveillance package such as Carrier IQ</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInElectronicReaders">E-Readers</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInElectronicReaders">#SpywareInElectronicReaders</a>)</span> </div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201603080"> <p>E-books can contain JavaScript code, and <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/25/11503718/first-response-pregnancy-pro-test-bluetooth-app-security">spy href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/mar/08/men-make-up-their-minds-about-books-faster-than-women-study-finds"> sometimes this code snoops on many sorts readers</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201410080"> <p>Adobe made “Digital Editions,” the e-reader used by most US libraries, <a href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/blogs/open-enterprise/drm-strikes-again-3575860/"> send lots of data to Adobe</a>. Adobe's “excuse”: it's needed to check DRM!</p> </li> <li id="M201212030"> <p>Spyware in many e-readers—not only the phone, and in server accounts, it can alter them too</a>. </p></li> <li><p>The Uber app tracks Kindle: <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/28/uber-background-location-data-collection/">clients' movements before and after the ride</a>.</p> <p>This example illustrates how “getting href="https://www.eff.org/pages/reader-privacy-chart-2012"> they report even which page the user's consent” user reads at what time</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareInApplications">Spyware in Applications</h3> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInApplications">#SpywareInApplications</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInDesktopApps">Desktop Apps</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInDesktopApps">#SpywareInDesktopApps</a>)</span> </div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201811020"> <p>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.</p> <p>The fact that this is used for surveillance repression of forbidden sharing makes it even more vicious.</p> <p>This illustrates that making unauthorized copies of nonfree software is inadequate as not a protection against massive surveillance.</p> cure for the injustice of nonfree software. It may avoid paying for the nasty thing, but cannot make it less nasty.</p> </li> <li><p>Google's new voice messaging </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInMobileApps">Mobile Apps</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInMobileApps">#SpywareInMobileApps</a>)</span> </div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201905300"> <p>The Femm “fertility” app is secretly a <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/21/12994362/allo-privacy-message-logs-google">logs all conversations</a>.</p> 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.</p> <p>It snoops on users, too, as you must expect from nonfree programs.</p> </li> <li><p>Apps that include <li id="M201905060"> <p>BlizzCon 2019 imposed a <a href="http://techaeris.com/2016/01/13/symphony-advanced-media-software-tracks-your-digital-life-through-your-smartphone-mic/"> Symphony surveillance software 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.</p> <p>This app is a spyware that can snoop on what radio a lot of sensitive data, including user's location and TV programs are playing nearby</a>. Also on what users post on various sites such as Facebook, Google+ contact list, and Twitter.</p> </li> <li><p>Facebook's new Magic Photo app has <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160605165148/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/10/facebook_scans_camera_for_your_friends/"> scans your mobile phone's photo collections for known faces</a>, href="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.</p> </li> <li id="M201904131"> <p>Data collected by menstrual and suggests you 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 share employers and insurance companies</a>. Even though the picture you take according to who data is in the frame.</p> <p>This spyware feature seems to require online access “anonymized and aggregated,” it can easily be traced back to some known-faces database, which means the pictures are likely to be sent across woman who uses the wire app.</p> <p>This has harmful implications for women's rights to Facebook's servers equal employment and face-recognition algorithms.</p> <p>If so, none of Facebook users' pictures are private anymore, freedom to make their own pregnancy choices. Don't use these apps, even if the user didn't “upload” them someone offers you a reward to do so. A free-software app that does more or less the service.</p> </li> <li><p>Like most “music screaming” disservices, Spotify is based same thing without spying on proprietary malware (DRM and snooping). In August 2015 it you is available from <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/21/spotify-faces-user-backlash-over-new-privacy-policy"> demanded users submit to increased snooping</a>, href="https://search.f-droid.org/?q=menstr">F-Droid</a>, and some are starting to realize that it is nasty.</p> <p>This article shows the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160313214751/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/21/spotify_worse_than_the_nsa/"> twisted ways that they present snooping as href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2019-04-10/building-a-better-period-tracking-app-podcast"> a way to “serve” users better</a>—never mind whether they want that. This new one is being developed</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201903251"> <p>Many Android phones come with a typical example of the attitude huge number of the proprietary software industry towards those they <a href="https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/03/22/inenglish/1553244778_819882.html"> preinstalled nonfree apps that have subjugated.</p> <p>Out, out, damned Spotify!</p> </li> <li><p>Many proprietary access to sensitive data without users' knowledge</a>. These hidden apps for mobile devices report which other 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 installed. absolutely no control.</p> </li> <li id="M201903201"> <p>A study of 24 “health” apps found that 19 of them <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/26/twitter-app-graph/">Twitter href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/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.</p> <p>Whenever user “consent” is doing this sought, it is buried in a way lengthy terms of service that at least are difficult to understand. In any case, “consent” is visible and optional</a>. Not as bad as what the others do.</p> not sufficient to legitimize snooping.</p> </li> <li><p>FTC says most mobile apps <li id="M201902230"> <p>Facebook offered a convenient proprietary library for children don't respect privacy: <a href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/12/ftc-disclosures-severely-lacking-in-kids-mobile-appsand-its-getting-worse/"> http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/12/ftc-disclosures-severely-lacking-in-kids-mobile-appsand-its-getting-worse/</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Widely used building mobile apps, which also <a href="https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/kollarssmith/scan-this-or-scan-me-user-privacy-barcode-scanning-applications/">proprietary QR-code scanner apps snoop on the user</a>. This is in addition href="https://boingboing.net/2019/02/23/surveillance-zucksterism.html"> sent personal data to the snooping done by the phone company, and perhaps by the OS in the phone.</p> <p>Don't be distracted by the question Facebook</a>. Lots of whether companies built apps that way and released them, apparently not realizing that all the app developers get users personal data they collected would go to say “I agree”. That is Facebook as well.</p> <p>It shows that no excuse for malware.</p> one can trust a nonfree program, not even the developers of other nonfree programs.</p> </li> <li><p>The Brightest Flashlight app <li id="M201902140"> <p>The AppCensus database gives information on <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/dec/06/android-app-50m-downloads-sent-data-advertisers"> sends user data, including geolocation, for href="https://www.appcensus.mobi"> how Android apps use by companies.</a></p> <p>The FTC criticized this app because it asked the user to approve sending and misuse users' personal data 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://blog.appcensus.mobi/2019/02/14/ad-ids-behaving-badly/"> 18,000 (23% of the app developer but did not ask about sending total) link this ID to hardware identifiers</a>, so that users cannot escape tracking by resetting it.</p> <p>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 other companies. take action. This shows proves that the weakness policies of the reject-it-if-you-dislike-snooping “solution” to surveillance: why should a flashlight app send any information to anyone? A free development platform are ineffective at preventing nonfree software flashlight app would not.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInGames">Spyware developers from including malware in Games</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInGames">#SpywareInGames</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li><p>nVidia's proprietary GeForce Experience <a href="http://www.gamersnexus.net/industry/2672-geforce-experience-data-transfer-analysis">makes users identify themselves and then sends personal data about them to nVidia servers</a>.</p> their programs.</p> </li> <li><p>Angry Birds <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/world/spy-agencies-scour-phone-apps-for-personal-data.html"> spies <li id="M201902060"> <p>Many nonfree apps have a surveillance feature for companies, and <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/06/iphone-session-replay-screenshots/"> recording all the NSA takes advantage users' actions</a> in interacting with the app.</p> </li> <li id="M201902041.1"> <p>Twenty nine “beauty camera” apps that used to spy through it too</a>. Here's information be on Google Play had one or more malicious functionalities, such as <a href="http://confabulator.blogspot.com/2012/11/analysis-of-what-information-angry.html"> more spyware apps</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/spy-agencies-probe-angry-birds-and-other-apps-for-personal-data"> More about NSA app spying</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInToys">Spyware in Toys</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInToys">#SpywareInToys</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li> <p>The “smart” toys My Friend Cayla and i-Que transmit <a href="https://www.forbrukerradet.no/siste-nytt/connected-toys-violate-consumer-laws">children's conversations href="https://www.teleanalysis.com/news/national/these-29-beauty-camera-apps-steal-private-photo-29923"> stealing users' photos</a> instead of “beautifying” them, pushing unwanted and often malicious ads on users, and redirecting them to Nuance Communications</a>, a speech recognition company based in phishing sites that stole their credentials. Furthermore, the U.S.</p> <p>Those toys user interface of most of them was designed to make uninstallation difficult.</p> <p>Users should of course uninstall these dangerous apps if they haven't yet, but they should also contain major security vulnerabilities; crackers can remotely control the toys with stay away from nonfree apps in general. <em>All</em> nonfree apps carry a mobile phone. This would enable crackers potential risk because there is no easy way of knowing what they really do.</p> </li> <li id="M201902010"> <p>An investigation of the 150 most popular gratis VPN apps in Google Play found that <a href="https://www.top10vpn.com/free-vpn-android-app-risk-index/"> 25% fail to listen protect their users' privacy</a> due to DNS leaks. In addition, 85% feature intrusive permissions or functions in their source code—often used for invasive advertising—that could potentially also be used to spy on users. Other technical flaws were found as well.</p> <p>Moreover, a child's speech, and even speak into the toys themselves.</p> </li> <li> <p>A computerized vibrator previous investigation had found that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/10/vibrator-phone-app-we-vibe-4-plus-bluetooth-hack"> was snooping on its users through href="https://www.top10vpn.com/free-vpn-app-investigation/">half of the proprietary control app</a>.</p> top 10 gratis VPN apps have lousy privacy policies</a>.</p> <p>It is unfortunate that these articles talk about “free apps.” These apps are gratis, but they are <em>not</em> <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201901050"> <p>The Weather Channel app was reporting <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/04/weather-channel-app-lawsuit-location-data-selling"> stored users' locations to the temperature of company's server</a>. The company is being sued, demanding that it notify the vibrator minute by minute (thus, indirectly, whether users of what it was surrounded by will do with the data.</p> <p>I think that lawsuit is about a person's body), as well as side issue. What the vibration frequency.</p> <p>Note company does with the totally inadequate proposed response: data is a labeling standard with which manufacturers would make statements about their products, rather than free software which users could have checked and changed.</p> <p>The company secondary issue. The principal wrong here is that made the vibrator <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/14/wevibe-sex-toy-data-collection-chicago-lawsuit"> was sued for collecting lots company gets that data at all.</p> <p><a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/gy77wy/stop-using-third-party-weather-apps"> Other weather apps</a>, including Accuweather and WeatherBug, are tracking people's locations.</p> </li> <li id="M201812290"> <p>Around 40% of personal information about how people used it</a>.</p> <p>The company's statement 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>.</p> <p>Often they send the machine's “advertising ID,” so that it was anonymizing Facebook can correlate the data may be true, but it doesn't really matter. If it had sold obtains from the data to a data broker, same machine via various apps. Some of them send Facebook detailed information about the data broker would have been able to figure out who user's activities in the app; others only say that the user was.</p> <p>Following this lawsuit, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/14/we-vibe-vibrator-tracking-users-sexual-habits"> is using that app, but that alone is often quite informative.</p> <p>This spying occurs regardless of whether the company user has been ordered to pay a total of C$4m</a> to its customers.</p> Facebook account.</p> </li> <li><p> “CloudPets” toys with microphones <li id="M201810244"> <p>Some Android apps <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/28/cloudpets-data-breach-leaks-details-of-500000-children-and-adults">leak childrens' conversations to href="https://www.androidauthority.com/apps-uninstall-trackers-917539/amp/"> track the manufacturer</a>. Guess what? phones of users that have deleted them</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201808030"> <p>Some Google apps on Android <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/internet-of-things-teddy-bear-leaked-2-million-parent-and-kids-message-recordings">Crackers found a way href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/aug/13/google-location-tracking-android-iphone-mobile"> record the user's location even when users disable “location tracking”</a>.</p> <p>There are other ways to access turn off the data</a> collected other kinds of location tracking, but most users will be tricked by the manufacturer's snooping.</p> <p>That misleading control.</p> </li> <li id="M201806110"> <p>The Spanish football streaming app <a href="https://boingboing.net/2018/06/11/spanish-football-app-turns-use.html">tracks the manufacturer user's movements and listens through the FBI could listen to these conversations was unacceptable by itself.</p></li> <li><p>Barbie <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/wi-fi-spy-barbie-records-childrens-5177673">is going microphone</a>.</p> <p>This makes them act as spies for licensing enforcement.</p> <p>I expect it implements DRM, too—that there is no way to spy on children and adults</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <!-- #SpywareAtLowLevel --> <!-- WEBMASTERS: make save a recording. But I can't be sure from the article.</p> <p>If you learn to place new items care much less about sports, you will benefit in many ways. This is one more.</p> </li> <li id="M201804160"> <p>More than <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/apr/16/child-apps-games-android-us-google-play-store-data-sharing-law-privacy">50% of the 5,855 Android apps studied by researchers were found to snoop and collect information about its users</a>. 40% of the apps were found to insecurely snitch on top under each subsection --> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareAtLowLevel">Spyware at Low Level</h3> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareAtLowLevel">#SpywareAtLowLevel</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInBIOS">Spyware its users. Furthermore, they could detect only some methods of snooping, in BIOS</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInBIOS">#SpywareInBIOS</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li><p> these proprietary apps whose source code they cannot look at. The other apps might be snooping in other ways.</p> <p>This is evidence that proprietary apps generally work against their users. To protect their privacy and freedom, Android users need to get rid of the proprietary software—both proprietary Android by <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2984889/windows-pcs/lenovo-collects-usage-data-on-thinkpad-thinkcentre-and-thinkstation-pcs.html"> Lenovo stealthily installed crapware href="https://replicant.us">switching to Replicant</a>, and spyware via BIOS</a> the proprietary apps by getting apps from the free software only <a href="https://f-droid.org/">F-Droid store</a> that <a href="https://f-droid.org/wiki/page/Antifeatures"> prominently warns the user if an app contains anti-features</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201804020"> <p>Grindr collects information about <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/04/02/egregious-breach-privacy-popular-app-grindr-supplies-third-parties-users-hiv-status"> which users are HIV-positive, then provides the information to companies</a>.</p> <p>Grindr should not have so much information about its users. It could be designed so that users communicate such info to each other but not to the server's database.</p> </li> <li id="M201803050"> <p>The moviepass app and dis-service spy on Windows installs. users even more than users expected. It <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/05/moviepass-ceo-proudly-says-the-app-tracks-your-location-before-and-after-movies/">records where they travel before and after going to a movie</a>.</p> <p>Don't be tracked—pay cash!</p> </li> <li id="M201711240"> <p>Tracking software in popular Android apps is pervasive and sometimes very clever. Some trackers can <a href="https://theintercept.com/2017/11/24/staggering-variety-of-clandestine-trackers-found-in-popular-android-apps/"> follow a user's movements around a physical store by noticing WiFi networks</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201708270"> <p>The Sarahah app <a href="https://theintercept.com/2017/08/27/hit-app-sarahah-quietly-uploads-your-address-book/"> uploads all phone numbers and email addresses</a> in user's address book to developer's server. Note that this article misuses the words “<a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a>” referring to zero price.</p> </li> <li id="M201707270"> <p>20 dishonest Android apps recorded <a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/07/stealthy-google-play-apps-recorded-calls-and-stole-e-mails-and-texts">phone calls and sent them and text messages and emails to snoopers</a>.</p> <p>Google did not intend to make these apps spy; on the contrary, it worked in various ways to prevent that, and deleted these apps after discovering what they did. So we cannot blame Google specifically for the snooping of these apps.</p> <p>On the other hand, Google redistributes nonfree Android apps, and therefore shares in the responsibility for the injustice of their being nonfree. It also distributes its own nonfree apps, such as Google Play, <a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">which are malicious</a>.</p> <p>Could Google have done a better job of preventing apps from cheating? There is no systematic way for Google, or Android users, to inspect executable proprietary apps to see what they do.</p> <p>Google could demand the source code for these apps, and study the source code somehow to determine whether they mistreat users in various ways. If it did a good job of this, it could more or less prevent such snooping, except when the app developers are clever enough to outsmart the checking.</p> <p>But since Google itself develops malicious apps, we cannot trust Google to protect us. We must demand release of source code to the public, so we can depend on each other.</p> </li> <li id="M201705230"> <p>Apps for BART <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20171124190046/https://consumerist.com/2017/05/23/passengers-say-commuter-rail-app-illegally-collects-personal-user-data/"> snoop on users</a>.</p> <p>With free software apps, users could <em>make sure</em> that they don't snoop.</p> <p>With proprietary apps, one can only hope that they don't.</p> </li> <li id="M201705040"> <p>A study found 234 Android apps that track users by <a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/234-android-applications-are-currently-using-ultrasonic-beacons-to-track-users/">listening to ultrasound from beacons placed in stores or played by TV programs</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201704260"> <p>Faceapp appears to do lots of surveillance, judging by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/04/26/everything-thats-wrong-with-faceapp-the-latest-creepy-photo-app-for-your-face/"> how much access it demands to personal data in the device</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201704190"> <p>Users are suing Bose for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/04/19/bose-headphones-have-been-spying-on-their-customers-lawsuit-claims/"> distributing a spyware app for its headphones</a>. Specifically, the app would record the names of the audio files users listen to along with the headphone's unique serial number.</p> <p>The suit accuses that this was done without the users' consent. If the fine print of the app said that users gave consent for this, would that make it acceptable? No way! It should be flat out <a href="/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html"> illegal to design the app to snoop at all</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201704074"> <p>Pairs of Android apps can collude to transmit users' personal data to servers. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/04/when-apps-collude-to-steal-your-data/522177/">A study found tens of thousands of pairs that collude</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201703300"> <p>Verizon <a href="https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/03/30/0112259/verizon-to-force-appflash-spyware-on-android-phones"> announced an opt-in proprietary search app that it will</a> pre-install on some of its phones. The app will give Verizon the same information about the users' searches that Google normally gets when they use its search engine.</p> <p>Currently, the app is <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/04/update-verizons-appflash-pre-installed-spyware-still-spyware"> being pre-installed on only one phone</a>, and the user must explicitly opt-in before the app takes effect. However, the app remains spyware—an “optional” piece of spyware is still spyware.</p> </li> <li id="M201701210"> <p>The Meitu photo-editing app <a href="https://theintercept.com/2017/01/21/popular-selfie-app-sending-user-data-to-china-researchers-say/">sends user data to a Chinese company</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201611280"> <p>The Uber app tracks <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/28/uber-background-location-data-collection/">clients' movements before and after the ride</a>.</p> <p>This example illustrates how “getting the user's consent” for surveillance is inadequate as a protection against massive surveillance.</p> </li> <li id="M201611160"> <p>A <a href="https://research.csiro.au/ng/wp-content/uploads/sites/106/2016/08/paper-1.pdf"> research paper</a> that investigated the privacy and security of 283 Android VPN apps concluded that “in spite of the promises for privacy, security, and anonymity given by the majority of VPN apps—millions of users may be unawarely subject to poor security guarantees and abusive practices inflicted by VPN apps.”</p> <p>Following is a non-exhaustive list, taken from the research paper, of some proprietary VPN apps that track users and infringe their privacy:</p> <dl class="compact"> <dt>SurfEasy</dt> <dd>Includes tracking libraries such as NativeX and Appflood, meant to track users and show them targeted ads.</dd> <dt>sFly Network Booster</dt> <dd>Requests the <code>READ_SMS</code> and <code>SEND_SMS</code> permissions upon installation, meaning it has full access to users' text messages.</dd> <dt>DroidVPN and TigerVPN</dt> <dd>Requests the <code>READ_LOGS</code> permission to read logs for other apps and also core system logs. TigerVPN developers have confirmed this.</dd> <dt>HideMyAss</dt> <dd>Sends traffic to LinkedIn. Also, it stores detailed logs and may turn them over to the UK government if requested.</dd> <dt>VPN Services HotspotShield</dt> <dd>Injects JavaScript code into the HTML pages returned to the users. The stated purpose of the JS injection is to display ads. Uses roughly five tracking libraries. Also, it redirects the user's traffic through valueclick.com (an advertising website).</dd> <dt>WiFi Protector VPN</dt> <dd>Injects JavaScript code into HTML pages, and also uses roughly five tracking libraries. Developers of this app have confirmed that the non-premium version of the app does JavaScript injection for tracking the user and displaying ads.</dd> </dl> </li> <li id="M201609210"> <p>Google's new voice messaging app <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/21/12994362/allo-privacy-message-logs-google">logs all conversations</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201606050"> <p>Facebook's new Magic Photo app <a href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/10/facebook_scans_camera_for_your_friends/"> scans your mobile phone's photo collections for known faces</a>, and suggests you to share the picture you take according to who is in the frame.</p> <p>This spyware feature seems to require online access to some known-faces database, which means the pictures are likely to be sent across the wire to Facebook's servers and face-recognition algorithms.</p> <p>If so, none of Facebook users' pictures are private anymore, even if the user didn't “upload” them to the service.</p> </li> <li id="M201605310"> <p>Facebook's app listens all the time, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-using-people-s-phones-to-listen-in-on-what-they-re-saying-claims-professor-a7057526.html">to snoop on what people are listening to or watching</a>. In addition, it may be analyzing people's conversations to serve them with targeted advertisements.</p> </li> <li id="M201604250"> <p>A pregnancy test controller application not only can <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/25/11503718/first-response-pregnancy-pro-test-bluetooth-app-security"> spy on many sorts of data in the phone, and in server accounts, it can alter them too</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201601130"> <p>Apps that include <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180913014551/http://techaeris.com/2016/01/13/symphony-advanced-media-software-tracks-your-digital-life-through-your-smartphone-mic/"> Symphony surveillance software snoop on what radio and TV programs are playing nearby</a>. Also on what users post on various sites such as Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.</p> </li> <li id="M201511190"> <p>“Cryptic communication,” unrelated to the app's functionality, was <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2015/data-transferred-android-apps-hiding-1119"> found in the 500 most popular gratis Android apps</a>.</p> <p>The article should not have described these apps as “free”—they are not free software. The clear way to say “zero price” is “gratis.”</p> <p>The article takes for granted that the usual analytics tools are legitimate, but is that valid? Software developers have no right to analyze what users are doing or how. “Analytics” tools that snoop are just as wrong as any other snooping.</p> </li> <li id="M201510300"> <p>More than 73% and 47% of mobile applications, from Android and iOS respectively <a href="https://techscience.org/a/2015103001/">share personal, behavioral and location information</a> of their users with third parties.</p> </li> <li id="M201508210"> <p>Like most “music screaming” disservices, Spotify is based on proprietary malware (DRM and snooping). In August 2015 it <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/aug/21/spotify-faces-user-backlash-over-new-privacy-policy"> demanded users submit to increased snooping</a>, and some are starting to realize that it is nasty.</p> <p>This article shows the <a href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/21/spotify_worse_than_the_nsa/"> twisted ways that they present snooping as a way to “serve” users better</a>—never mind whether they want that. This is a typical example of the attitude of the proprietary software industry towards those they have subjugated.</p> <p>Out, out, damned Spotify!</p> </li> <li id="M201506264"> <p><a href="http://www.privmetrics.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wisec2015.pdf">A study in 2015</a> found that 90% of the top-ranked gratis proprietary Android apps contained recognizable tracking libraries. For the paid proprietary apps, it was only 60%.</p> <p>The article confusingly describes gratis apps as “free”, but most of them are not in fact <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a>. It also uses the ugly word “monetize”. A good replacement for that word is “exploit”; nearly always that will fit perfectly.</p> </li> <li id="M201505060"> <p>Gratis Android apps (but not <a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">free software</a>) connect to 100 <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/06/free-android-apps-connect-tracking-advertising-websites">tracking and advertising</a> URLs, on the average.</p> </li> <li id="M201504060"> <p>Widely used <a href="https://freedom-to-tinker.com/blog/kollarssmith/scan-this-or-scan-me-user-privacy-barcode-scanning-applications/">proprietary QR-code scanner apps snoop on the user</a>. This is in addition to the snooping done by the phone company, and perhaps by the OS in the phone.</p> <p>Don't be distracted by the question of whether the app developers get users to say “I agree”. That is no excuse for malware.</p> </li> <li id="M201411260"> <p>Many proprietary apps for mobile devices report which other apps the user has installed. <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/26/twitter-app-graph/">Twitter is doing this in a way that at least is visible and optional</a>. Not as bad as what the others do.</p> </li> <li id="M201401150.1"> <p>The Simeji keyboard is a smartphone version of Baidu's <a href="/proprietary/proprietary-surveillance.html#baidu-ime">spying <abbr title="Input Method Editor">IME</abbr></a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201312270"> <p>The nonfree Snapchat app's principal purpose is to restrict the use of data on the user's computer, but it does surveillance too: <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/27/snapchat-may-be-exposed-hackers"> it tries to get the user's list of other people's phone numbers</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201312060"> <p>The Brightest Flashlight app <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/dec/06/android-app-50m-downloads-sent-data-advertisers"> sends user data, including geolocation, for use by companies</a>.</p> <p>The FTC criticized this app because it asked the user to approve sending personal data to the app developer but did not ask about sending it to other companies. This shows the weakness of the reject-it-if-you-dislike-snooping “solution” to surveillance: why should a flashlight app send any information to anyone? A free software flashlight app would not.</p> </li> <li id="M201212100"> <p>FTC says most mobile apps for children don't respect privacy: <a href="http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/12/ftc-disclosures-severely-lacking-in-kids-mobile-appsand-its-getting-worse/"> http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/12/ftc-disclosures-severely-lacking-in-kids-mobile-appsand-its-getting-worse/</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInSkype">Skype</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInSkype">#SpywareInSkype</a>)</span> </div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201307110"> <p>Skype contains <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130928235637/http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2013/06/20/project-chess-how-u-s-snoops-on-your-skype/">spyware</a>. Microsoft changed Skype <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data"> specifically for spying</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInGames">Games</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInGames">#SpywareInGames</a>)</span> </div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201806240"> <p>Red Shell is a spyware that is found in many proprietary games. It <a href="https://nebulous.cloud/threads/red-shell-illegal-spyware-for-steam-games.31924/"> tracks data on users' computers and sends it to third parties</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201804144"> <p>ArenaNet surreptitiously installed a spyware program along with an update to the massive multiplayer game Guild Wars 2. The spyware allowed ArenaNet <a href="https://techraptor.net/content/arenanet-used-spyware-anti-cheat-for-guild-wars-2-banwave"> to snoop on all open processes running on its user's computer</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201711070"> <p>The driver for a certain gaming keyboard <a href="https://thehackernews.com/2017/11/mantistek-keyboard-keylogger.html">sends information to China</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201512290"> <p>Many <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/12/29/how-much-data-are-video-games-collecting-about-you.html/"> video game consoles snoop on their users and report to the internet</a>—even what their users weigh.</p> <p>A game console is a computer, and you can't trust a computer with a nonfree operating system.</p> </li> <li id="M201509160"> <p>Modern gratis game cr…apps <a href="http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/"> collect a wide range of data about their users and their users' friends and associates</a>.</p> <p>Even nastier, they do it through ad networks that merge the data collected by various cr…apps and sites made by different companies.</p> <p>They use this data to manipulate people to buy things, and hunt for “whales” who can be led to spend a lot of money. They also use a back door to manipulate the game play for specific players.</p> <p>While the article describes gratis games, games that cost money can use the same tactics.</p> </li> <li id="M201401280"> <p>Angry Birds <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/world/spy-agencies-scour-phone-apps-for-personal-data.html"> spies for companies, and the NSA takes advantage to spy through it too</a>. Here's information on <a href="http://confabulator.blogspot.com/2012/11/analysis-of-what-information-angry.html"> more spyware apps</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/spy-agencies-probe-angry-birds-and-other-apps-for-personal-data"> More about NSA app spying</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M200510200"> <p>Blizzard Warden is a hidden “cheating-prevention” program that <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2005/10/new-gaming-feature-spyware"> spies on every process running on a gamer's computer and sniffs a good deal of personal data</a>, including lots of activities which have nothing to do with cheating.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareInEquipment">Spyware in Connected Equipment</h3> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInEquipment">#SpywareInEquipment</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201708280"> <p>The bad security in many Internet of Stings devices allows <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170828/08152938092/iot-devices-provide-comcast-wonderful-new-opportunity-to-spy-you.shtml">ISPs to snoop on the people that use them</a>.</p> <p>Don't be a sucker—reject all the stings.</p> <p>It is unfortunate that the article uses the term <a href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Monetize">“monetize”</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInTVSets">TV Sets</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInTVSets">#SpywareInTVSets</a>)</span> </div> <p>Emo Phillips made a joke: The other day a woman came up to me and said, “Didn't I see you on television?” I said, “I don't know. You can't see out the other way.” Evidently that was before Amazon “smart” TVs.</p> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201901070"> <p>Vizio TVs <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/7/18172397/airplay-2-homekit-vizio-tv-bill-baxter-interview-vergecast-ces-2019"> collect “whatever the TV sees,”</a> in the own words of the company's CTO, and this data is sold to third parties. This is in return for “better service” (meaning more intrusive ads?) and slightly lower retail prices.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>If you already own a Vizio smart TV (or any smart 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.</p> </li> <li id="M201804010"> <p>Some “Smart” TVs automatically <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180405014828/https:/twitter.com/buro9/status/980349887006076928"> load downgrades that install a surveillance app</a>.</p> <p>We link to the article for the facts it presents. It is too bad that the article finishes by advocating the moral weakness of surrendering to Netflix. The Netflix app <a href="/proprietary/malware-google.html#netflix-app-geolocation-drm">is malware too</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201702060"> <p>Vizio “smart” <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen">TVs report everything that is viewed on them, and not just broadcasts and cable</a>. Even if the image is coming from the user's own computer, the TV reports what it is. The existence of a way to disable the surveillance, even if it were not hidden as it was in these TVs, does not legitimize the surveillance.</p> </li> <li id="M201511130"> <p>Some web and TV advertisements play inaudible sounds to be picked up by proprietary malware running on other devices in range so as to determine that they are nearby. Once your Internet devices are paired with your TV, advertisers can correlate ads with Web activity, and other <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/11/beware-of-ads-that-use-inaudible-sound-to-link-your-phone-tv-tablet-and-pc/"> cross-device tracking</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201511060"> <p>Vizio goes a step further than other TV manufacturers in spying on their users: their <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/own-a-vizio-smart-tv-its-watching-you"> “smart” TVs analyze your viewing habits in detail and link them your IP address</a> so that advertisers can track you across devices.</p> <p>It is possible to turn this off, but having it enabled by default is an injustice already.</p> </li> <li id="M201511020"> <p>Tivo's alliance with Viacom adds 2.3 million households to the 600 millions social media profiles the company already monitors. Tivo customers are unaware they're being watched by advertisers. By combining TV viewing information with online social media participation, Tivo can now <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/viacom-tivo-idUSL1N12U1VV20151102"> correlate TV advertisement with online purchases</a>, exposing all users to new combined surveillance by default.</p> </li> <li id="M201507240"> <p>Vizio “smart” TVs recognize and <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/07/24/vizio-ipo-inscape-acr/">track what people are watching</a>, even if it isn't a TV channel.</p> </li> <li id="M201505290"> <p>Verizon cable TV <a href="http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/05/verizon-fios-reps-know-what-tv-channels-you-watch/"> snoops on what programs people watch, and even what they wanted to record</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201504300"> <p>Vizio <a href="http://boingboing.net/2015/04/30/telescreen-watch-vizio-adds-s.html"> used a firmware “upgrade” to make its TVs snoop on what users watch</a>. The TVs did not do that when first sold.</p> </li> <li id="M201502090"> <p>The Samsung “Smart” TV <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/02/who-s-the-third-party-that-samsung-and-lg-smart-tvs-are-sharing-your-voice-data-with/index.htm"> transmits users' voice on the internet to another company, Nuance</a>. Nuance can save it and would then have to give it to the US or some other government.</p> <p>Speech recognition is not to be trusted unless it is done by free software in your own computer.</p> <p>In its privacy policy, Samsung explicitly confirms that <a href="http://theweek.com/speedreads/538379/samsung-warns-customers-not-discuss-personal-information-front-smart-tvs">voice data containing sensitive information will be transmitted to third parties</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201411090"> <p>The Amazon “Smart” TV is <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2014/nov/09/amazon-echo-smart-tv-watching-listening-surveillance"> snooping all the time</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201409290"> <p>More or less all “smart” TVs <a href="http://www.myce.com/news/reseachers-all-smart-tvs-spy-on-you-sony-monitors-all-channel-switches-72851/">spy on their users</a>.</p> <p>The report was as of 2014, but we don't expect this has got better.</p> <p>This shows that laws requiring products to get users' formal consent before collecting personal data are totally inadequate. And what happens if a user declines consent? Probably the TV will say, “Without your consent to tracking, the TV will not work.”</p> <p>Proper laws would say that TVs are not allowed to report what the user watches—no exceptions!</p> </li> <li id="M201405200"> <p>Spyware in LG “smart” TVs <a href="http://doctorbeet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lg-smart-tvs-logging-usb-filenames-and.html"> reports what the user watches, and the switch to turn this off has no effect</a>. (The fact that the specific sabotage method Lenovo used did not affect GNU/Linux; also, transmission reports a “clean” Windows install is not 404 error really clean since means nothing; the server could save that data anyway.)</p> <p>Even worse, it <a href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html">Microsoft puts in its own malware</a>. </p></li> </ul> <!-- #SpywareAtWork --> <!-- WEBMASTERS: make sure to place new items href="http://rambles.renney.me/2013/11/lg-tv-logging-filenames-from-network-folders/"> snoops on other devices on top under each subsection --> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareAtWork">Spyware at Work</h3> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareAtWork">#SpywareAtWork</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <ul> <li><p>Investigation Shows <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160602/17210734610/investigation-shows-gchq-using-us-companies-nsa-to-route-around-domestic-surveillance-restrictions.shtml">GCHQ Using US Companies, NSA To Route Around Domestic Surveillance Restrictions</a>.</p> <p>Specifically, it can collect the emails of members of Parliament this way, because they pass user's local network</a>.</p> <p>LG later said it through Microsoft.</p></li> <li><p>Spyware in Cisco TNP IP phones: had installed a patch to stop this, but any product could spy this way.</p> <p>Meanwhile, LG TVs <a href="http://boingboing.net/2012/12/29/your-cisco-phone-is-listening.html"> http://boingboing.net/2012/12/29/your-cisco-phone-is-listening.html</a></p> href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140511/17430627199/lg-will-take-smart-out-your-smart-tv-if-you-dont-agree-to-share-your-viewing-search-data-with-third-parties.shtml"> do lots of spying anyway</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201212170"> <p id="break-security-smarttv"><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2249303/Hackers-penetrate-home-Crack-Samsungs-Smart-TV-allows-attacker-seize-control-microphone-cameras.html"> Crackers found a way to break security on a “smart” TV</a> and use its camera to watch the people who are watching TV.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInSkype">Spyware in Skype</h4> id="SpywareInCameras">Cameras</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInSkype">#SpywareInSkype</a>)</span> href="#SpywareInCameras">#SpywareInCameras</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li><p>Spyware in Skype: <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2013/06/20/project-chess-how-u-s-snoops-on-your-skype/"> http://www.forbes.com/sites/petercohan/2013/06/20/project-chess-how-u-s-snoops-on-your-skype/</a>. Microsoft changed Skype <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201901100"> <p>Amazon Ring “security” devices <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data"> specifically for spying</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <!-- #SpywareOnTheRoad --> <!-- WEBMASTERS: make sure href="https://www.engadget.com/2019/01/10/ring-gave-employees-access-customer-video-feeds/"> send the video they capture to place new items on top under each subsection --> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareOnTheRoad">Spyware Amazon servers</a>, which save it long-term.</p> <p>In many cases, the video shows everyone that comes near, or merely passes by, the user's front door.</p> <p>The article focuses on The Road</h3> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareOnTheRoad">#SpywareOnTheRoad</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInCameras">Spyware 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—that Amazon gets the video—Amazon expects society to surrender to.</p> </li> <li id="M201810300"> <p>Nearly all “home security cameras” <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/d-link-camera-poses-data-security-risk--consumer-reports-finds/"> give the manufacturer an unencrypted copy of everything they see</a>. “Home insecurity camera” would be a better name!</p> <p>When Consumer Reports tested them, it suggested that these manufacturers promise not to look at what's in Cameras</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInCameras">#SpywareInCameras</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li> the videos. That's not security for your home. Security means making sure they don't get to see through your camera.</p> </li> <li id="M201603220"> <p>Over 70 brands of network-connected surveillance cameras have <a href="http://www.kerneronsec.com/2016/02/remote-code-execution-in-cctv-dvrs-of.html"> security bugs that allow anyone to watch through them</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201511250"> <p>The Nest Cam “smart” camera is <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34922712">always watching</a>, even when the “owner” switches it “off.”</p> <p>A “smart” device means the manufacturer is using it to outsmart you.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInElectronicReaders">Spyware in e-Readers</h4> id="SpywareInToys">Toys</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInElectronicReaders">#SpywareInElectronicReaders</a>)</span> href="#SpywareInToys">#SpywareInToys</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li><p>E-books can contain Javascript code, and <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201711244"> <p>The Furby Connect has a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/mar/08/men-make-up-their-minds-about-books-faster-than-women-study-finds">sometimes this code snoops on readers</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Spyware in many e-readers—not only href="https://www.contextis.com/blog/dont-feed-them-after-midnight-reverse-engineering-the-furby-connect"> universal back door</a>. If the Kindle: <a href="https://www.eff.org/pages/reader-privacy-chart-2012"> they report even which page product as shipped doesn't act as a listening device, remote changes to the user reads at what time</a>.</p> code could surely convert it into one.</p> </li> <li><p>Adobe made “Digital Editions,” the e-reader used by most US libraries, <a href="http://www.computerworlduk.com/blogs/open-enterprise/drm-strikes-again-3575860/"> send lots of data to Adobe</a>. Adobe's “excuse”: it's needed <li id="M201711100"> <p>A remote-control sex toy was found to check DRM!</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInVehicles">Spyware in Vehicles</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInVehicles">#SpywareInVehicles</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li><p>Computerized cars with nonfree software are make <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-12/your-car-s-been-studying-you-closely-and-everyone-wants-the-data"> snooping devices</a>.</p> href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/10/16634442/lovense-sex-toy-spy-survei">audio recordings of the conversation between two users</a>.</p> </li> <li id="nissan-modem"><p>The Nissan Leaf has a built-in cell phone modem which allows effectively anyone id="M201703140"> <p>A computerized vibrator <a href="https://www.troyhunt.com/controlling-vehicle-features-of-nissan/">to access href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/10/vibrator-phone-app-we-vibe-4-plus-bluetooth-hack"> was snooping on its computers remotely and make changes in various settings</a>.</p> <p>That's easy to do because the system has no authentication when accessed users through the modem. However, even if proprietary control app</a>.</p> <p>The app was reporting the temperature of the vibrator minute by minute (thus, indirectly, whether it asked for authentication, you couldn't be confident that Nissan has no access. The was surrounded by a person's body), as well as the vibration frequency.</p> <p>Note the totally inadequate proposed response: a labeling standard with which manufacturers would make statements about their products, rather than free software in which users could have checked and changed.</p> <p>The company that made the car is proprietary, vibrator <a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">which means href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/14/wevibe-sex-toy-data-collection-chicago-lawsuit"> was sued for collecting lots of personal information about how people used it</a>.</p> <p>The company's statement that it demands blind faith from its users</a>.</p> <p>Even if no one connects to was anonymizing the car remotely, data may be true, but it doesn't really matter. If it had sold the cell phone modem enables data to a data broker, the phone company data broker would have been able to track figure out who the car's movements all user was.</p> <p>Following this lawsuit, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/14/we-vibe-vibrator-tracking-users-sexual-habits"> the time; it is possible company has been ordered to physically remove the cell phone modem though.</p> pay a total of C$4m</a> to its customers.</p> </li> <li id="records-drivers"><p>Proprietary software in cars id="M201702280"> <p>“CloudPets” toys with microphones <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/03/24/car-spying-edr-data-privacy/1991751/">records information about drivers' movements</a>, which is made available href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/28/cloudpets-data-breach-leaks-details-of-500000-children-and-adults"> leak childrens' conversations to car manufacturers, insurance companies, and others.</p> <p>The case of toll-collection systems, mentioned in this article, is not really the manufacturer</a>. Guess what? <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/pgwean/internet-of-things-teddy-bear-leaked-2-million-parent-and-kids-message-recordings"> Crackers found a matter of proprietary surveillance. These systems are an intolerable invasion of privacy, and should be replaced with anonymous payment systems, but way to access the invasion isn't done by malware. The other cases mentioned are done data</a> collected by proprietary malware in the car.</p></li> <li><p>Tesla cars allow manufacturer's snooping.</p> <p>That the company to extract data remotely manufacturer and determine the car's location at any time. (See <a href="http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/tmi_privacy_statement_external_6-14-2013_v2.pdf"> Section 2, paragraphs b FBI could listen to these conversations was unacceptable by itself.</p> </li> <li id="M201612060"> <p>The “smart” toys My Friend Cayla and c.</a>). The i-Que transmit <a href="https://www.forbrukerradet.no/siste-nytt/connected-toys-violate-consumer-laws">children's conversations to Nuance Communications</a>, a speech recognition company says it doesn't store this information, but if based in the U.S.</p> <p>Those toys also contain major security vulnerabilities; crackers can remotely control the state orders it toys with a mobile phone. This would enable crackers to get the data listen in on a child's speech, and hand it over, even speak into the state can store it.</p> toys themselves.</p> </li> </ul> <!-- #SpywareAtHome --> <!-- WEBMASTERS: make sure <li id="M201502180"> <p>Barbie <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/wi-fi-spy-barbie-records-childrens-5177673">is going to place new items spy on top under each subsection --> children and adults</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareAtHome">Spyware at Home</h3> class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInDrones">Drones</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareAtHome">#SpywareAtHome</a>)</span> href="#SpywareInDrones">#SpywareInDrones</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <ul> <li><p>Nest thermometers send <a href="http://bgr.com/2014/07/17/google-nest-jailbreak-hack">a lot of data about the user</a>.</p> </li> <li><p><a href="http://consumerman.com/Rent-to-own%20giant%20accused%20of%20spying%20on%20its%20customers.htm"> Rent-to-own computers were programmed <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201708040"> <p>While you're using a DJI drone to spy snoop on their renters</a>.</p> other people, DJI is in many cases <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/4/16095244/us-army-stop-using-dji-drones-cybersecurity">snooping on you</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInTVSets">Spyware in TV Sets</h4> <span id="SpywareAtHome">Other Appliances</h4><span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInTVSets">#SpywareInTVSets</a>)</span> href="#SpywareAtHome">#SpywareAtHome</a>)</span> </div> <p>Emo Phillips made <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201905061"> <p>Amazon Alexa collects a joke: The other day lot more information from users than is necessary for correct functioning (time, location, recordings made without a woman came up legitimate prompt), and sends it to me 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://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 said, “Didn't I see you government agencies. In other words, deleting the collected information doesn't cancel the wrong of collecting it.</p> <p>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 television?” I said, “I don't know. You can't see out the other way.” Evidently that was before servers the devices are tethered to. Moreover, they are made available to Alexa. As a result, Amazon “smart” TVs.</p> <ul> <li> <p>Vizio “smart” 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?)</p> </li> <li id="M201904240"> <p>Some of users' commands to the Alexa service are <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/blogs/business-blog/2017/02/what-vizio-was-doing-behind-tv-screen">TVs report everything that is viewed on them, 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 not just broadcasts Apple voice assistants do similar things.</p> <p>A fraction of the Alexa service staff even has access to <a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/amazon-s-alexa-reviewers-can-access-customers-home-addresses-1.1248788"> location and cable</a>. Even if other personal data</a>.</p> <p>Since the image client program is coming from the user's own computer, nonfree, and data processing is done “<a href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#CloudComputing">in the TV reports what it is. The existence cloud</a>” (a soothing way of a saying “We won't tell you how and where it's done”), users have no way to disable know what happens to the surveillance, even if it recordings unless human eavesdroppers <a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/three-cheers-for-amazon-s-human-eavesdroppers-1.1243033"> break their non-disclosure agreements</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201902080"> <p>The HP <a href="https://boingboing.net/2019/02/08/inkjet-dystopias.html"> “ink subscription” 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 not hidden as paid for.</p> <p>Even though the ink subscription program may be cheaper in some specific cases, it was spies on users, and involves totally unacceptable restrictions in these TVs, does not legitimize the surveillance.</p> use of ink cartridges that would otherwise be in working order.</p> </li> <li><p>More or less all “smart” TVs <li id="M201808120"> <p>Crackers found a way to break the security of an Amazon device, and <a href="http://www.myce.com/news/reseachers-all-smart-tvs-spy-on-you-sony-monitors-all-channel-switches-72851/">spy on their users</a>.</p> <p>The report href="https://boingboing.net/2018/08/12/alexa-bob-carol.html"> turn it into a listening device</a> for them.</p> <p>It was as of 2014, but we don't expect this has got better.</p> <p>This shows that laws requiring products very difficult for them to get users' formal consent before collecting personal data are totally inadequate. do this. The job would be much easier for Amazon. And what happens if a user declines consent? Probably some government such as China or the TV will say, “Without your consent US told Amazon to tracking, do this, or cease to sell the TV will not work.”</p> <p>Proper laws product in that country, do you think Amazon would have the moral fiber to say that TVs no?</p> <p>These crackers are not allowed to report what the user watches — no exceptions!</p> probably hackers too, but please <a href="https://stallman.org/articles/on-hacking.html"> don't use “hacking” to mean “breaking security”</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Vizio goes <li id="M201804140"> <p>A medical insurance company <a href="https://wolfstreet.com/2018/04/14/our-dental-insurance-sent-us-free-internet-connected-toothbrushes-and-this-is-what-happened-next"> offers a step further than other TV manufacturers in spying gratis electronic toothbrush that snoops on their users: their <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/own-a-vizio-smart-tv-its-watching-you"> its user by sending usage data back over the Internet</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201706204"> <p>Lots of “smart” TVs analyze your viewing habits products are designed <a href="http://enews.cnet.com/ct/42931641:shoPz52LN:m:1:1509237774:B54C9619E39F7247C0D58117DD1C7E96:r:27417204357610908031812337994022">to listen to everyone in detail and link them your IP address</a> so the house, all the time</a>.</p> <p>Today's technological practice does not include any way of making a device that advertisers can track you across devices.</p> <p>It is possible to turn this off, but having obey your voice commands without potentially spying on you. Even if it enabled by default is an injustice already.</p> air-gapped, it could be saving up records about you for later examination.</p> </li> <li><p>Tivo's alliance with Viacom adds 2.3 million households to <li id="M201407170"> <p id="nest-thermometers">Nest thermometers send <a href="http://bgr.com/2014/07/17/google-nest-jailbreak-hack">a lot of data about the 600 millions social media profiles user</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201310260"> <p><a href="http://consumerman.com/Rent-to-own%20giant%20accused%20of%20spying%20on%20its%20customers.htm"> Rent-to-own computers were programmed to spy on their renters</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareOnWearables">Wearables</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareOnWearables">#SpywareOnWearables</a>)</span> </div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201807260"> <p>Tommy Hilfiger clothing <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/jul/26/tommy-hilfiger-new-clothing-line-monitor-customers">will monitor how often people wear it</a>.</p> <p>This will teach the company already monitors. Tivo customers are unaware they're being watched by advertisers. By combining TV viewing information sheeple to find it normal that companies monitor every aspect of what they do.</p> </li> </ul> <h5 id="SpywareOnSmartWatches">“Smart” Watches</h5> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201603020"> <p>A very cheap “smart watch” comes with online social media participation, Tivo can now an Android app <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/viacom-tivo-idUSL1N12U1VV20151102">correlate TV advertisement with online purchases</a>, exposing all users to new combined surveillance by default.</p></li> <li><p>Some web and TV advertisements play inaudible sounds href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/02/chinese_backdoor_found_in_ebays_popular_cheap_smart_watch/"> that connects to be picked up by proprietary malware running on other devices an unidentified site in range so as China</a>.</p> <p>The article says this is a back door, but that could be a misunderstanding. However, it is certainly surveillance, at least.</p> </li> <li id="M201407090"> <p>An LG “smart” watch is designed <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/07/09/lg-kizon-smart-watch_n_5570234.html"> to determine that they are nearby. Once your Internet devices are paired with your TV, advertisers can correlate ads with Web activity, report its location to someone else and other <a href="http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/11/beware-of-ads-that-use-inaudible-sound-to-link-your-phone-tv-tablet-and-pc/">cross-device tracking</a>.</p> to transmit conversations too</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Vizio “smart” TVs recognize </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInVehicles">Vehicles</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInVehicles">#SpywareInVehicles</a>)</span> </div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201903290"> <p>Tesla cars collect lots of personal data, and <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2015/07/24/vizio-ipo-inscape-acr/">track what people are watching</a>, even if it isn't 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 TV channel.</p> </li> <li><p>The Amazon “Smart” TV <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2014/nov/09/amazon-echo-smart-tv-watching-listening-surveillance">is watching and listening all junkyard the time</a>.</p> driver's personal data goes with them</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>The Samsung “Smart” TV <li id="M201902011"> <p>The FordPass Connect feature of some Ford vehicles has <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/02/who-s-the-third-party-that-samsung-and-lg-smart-tvs-are-sharing-your-voice-data-with/index.htm">transmits users' voice on href="https://www.myfordpass.com/content/ford_com/fp_app/en_us/termsprivacy.html"> near-complete access to the internet internal car network</a>. It is constantly connected to another company, Nuance</a>. Nuance can save it the cellular phone network and would then 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.</p> <p>If you own one of these cars, have to give it to you succeeded in breaking the US connectivity by disconnecting the cellular modem, or some other government.</p> <p>Speech recognition wrapping the antenna in aluminum foil?</p> </li> <li id="M201811300"> <p>In China, it is not mandatory for electric cars to be trusted unless equipped with a terminal that <a href="https://www.apnews.com/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 is done by free software to the government-run platform.</p> </li> <li id="M201810230"> <p>GM <a href="https://boingboing.net/2018/10/23/dont-touch-that-dial.html"> tracked the choices of radio programs</a> in your own computer.</p> <p>In its privacy policy, Samsung explicitly confirms “connected” cars, minute by minute.</p> <p>GM did not get users' consent, but it could have got that <a href="http://theweek.com/speedreads/538379/samsung-warns-customers-not-discuss-personal-information-front-smart-tvs">voice data containing sensitive information will easily by sneaking it into the contract that users sign for some digital service or other. A requirement for consent is effectively no protection.</p> <p>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 transmitted forbidden.</p> <p>But if you really want to third parties</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Spyware in <a href="http://doctorbeet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lg-smart-tvs-logging-usb-filenames-and.html"> LG “smart” TVs</a> reports what the user watches, and be safe, we must make sure the switch to turn this off has no effect. (The fact car's hardware cannot collect any of that the transmission reports a 404 error really means nothing; the server could save data, or that data anyway.)</p> <p>Even worse, it <a href="http://rambles.renney.me/2013/11/lg-tv-logging-filenames-from-network-folders/"> snoops on other devices on the user's local network.</a></p> <p>LG later said software is free so we know it had installed a patch to stop this, but won't collect any product could spy this way.</p> <p>Meanwhile, LG TVs <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140511/17430627199/lg-will-take-smart-out-your-smart-tv-if-you-dont-agree-to-share-your-viewing-search-data-with-third-parties.shtml"> do lots of spying anyway</a>.</p> that data.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/05/verizon-fios-reps-know-what-tv-channels-you-watch/">Verizon cable TV snoops on what programs people watch, and even what they wanted to record.</a></p> <li id="M201711230"> <p>AI-powered driving apps can <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/43nz9p/ai-powered-driving-apps-can-track-your-every-move"> track your every move</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <!-- #SpywareAtPlay --> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareAtPlay">Spyware at Play</h3> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareAtPlay">#SpywareAtPlay</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <ul> <li><p>Users <li id="M201607160"> <p id="car-spying">Computerized cars with nonfree software are suing Bose for <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/04/19/bose-headphones-have-been-spying-on-their-customers-lawsuit-claims/"> distributing href="http://www.thelowdownblog.com/2016/07/your-cars-been-studying-you-closely-and.html"> snooping devices</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201602240"> <p id="nissan-modem">The Nissan Leaf has a spyware app for built-in cell phone modem which allows effectively anyone to <a href="https://www.troyhunt.com/controlling-vehicle-features-of-nissan/"> access its headphones</a>. Specifically, computers remotely and make changes in various settings</a>.</p> <p>That's easy to do because the app would record system has no authentication when accessed through the names of modem. However, even if it asked for authentication, you couldn't be confident that Nissan has no access. The software in the audio files users listen car is proprietary, <a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">which means it demands blind faith from its users</a>.</p> <p>Even if no one connects to along with the headphone's unique serial number. </p> <p>The suit accuses that this was done without the users' consent. If car remotely, the fine print of cell phone modem enables the app said that users gave consent for this, would that make it acceptable? No way! It should be flat out <a href="/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html"> illegal phone company to design track the app to snoop at all</a>. </p> </li> <li><p>Many <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/12/29/how-much-data-are-video-games-collecting-about-you.html/"> video game consoles snoop on their users and report to car's movements all the internet</a>— even what their users weigh.</p> <p>A game console time; it is a computer, and you can't trust a computer with a nonfree operating system.</p> possible to physically remove the cell phone modem, though.</p> </li> <li><p>Modern gratis game cr…apps <a href="http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/16/we-own-you-confessions-of-a-free-to-play-producer/"> collect a wide range of <li id="M201306140"> <p>Tesla cars allow the company to extract data about their users remotely and their users' friends determine the car's location at any time. (See Section 2, paragraphs b and associates</a>.</p> <p>Even nastier, they do c of the <a href="http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/tmi_privacy_statement_external_6-14-2013_v2.pdf"> privacy statement</a>.) The company says it through ad networks that merge doesn't store this information, but if the state orders it to get the data collected by various cr…apps and sites hand it over, the state can store it.</p> </li> <li id="M201303250"> <p id="records-drivers">Proprietary software in cars <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/03/24/car-spying-edr-data-privacy/1991751/"> records information about drivers' movements</a>, which is made by different companies.</p> <p>They use this data to manipulate people available to buy things, car manufacturers, insurance companies, and hunt for “whales” who can be led to spend a lot others.</p> <p>The case of money. They also use toll-collection systems, mentioned in this article, is not really a back door to manipulate matter of proprietary surveillance. These systems are an intolerable invasion of privacy, and should be replaced with anonymous payment systems, but the invasion isn't done by malware. The other cases mentioned are done by proprietary malware in the game play car.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInVR">Virtual Reality</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInVR">#SpywareInVR</a>)</span> </div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201612230"> <p>VR equipment, measuring every slight motion, creates the potential for specific players.</p> <p>While the article describes gratis games, games that cost money most intimate surveillance ever. All it takes to make this potential real <a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/12/23/virtual-reality-allows-the-most-detailed-intimate-digital-surveillance-yet/">is software as malicious as many other programs listed in this page</a>.</p> <p>You can use bet Facebook will implement the same tactics.</p> maximum possible surveillance on Oculus Rift devices. The moral is, never trust a VR system with nonfree software in it.</p> </li> </ul> <!-- #SpywareOnTheWeb --> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareOnTheWeb">Spyware on the Web</h3> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareOnTheWeb">#SpywareOnTheWeb</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <p>In addition, many web sites spy on their visitors. Web sites are not programs, so it <a href="/philosophy/network-services-arent-free-or-nonfree.html"> makes no sense to call them “free” or “proprietary”</a>, but the surveillance is an abuse all the same.</p> <ul> <li><p>When <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201904210"> <p>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 going to be based on Chromium.</p> </li> <li id="M201901101"> <p>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.</p> </li> <li id="M201805170"> <p>The Storyful program <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/17/revealed-how-storyful-uses-tool-monitor-what-journalists-watch">spies on the reporters that use it</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201701060"> <p>When a page uses Disqus for comments, <a href="https://blog.dantup.com/2017/01/visiting-a-site-that-uses-disqus-comments-when-not-logged-in-sends-the-url-to-facebook">the the proprietary Disqus software loads <a href="https://blog.dantup.com/2017/01/visiting-a-site-that-uses-disqus-comments-when-not-logged-in-sends-the-url-to-facebook">loads a Facebook software package into the browser of every anonymous visitor to the page, and makes the page's URL available to Facebook</a>. </p></li> <li><p>Online Facebook</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201612064"> <p>Online sales, with tracking and surveillance of customers, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/06/cookie-monsters-why-your-browsing-history-could-mean-rip-off-prices">enables businesses to show different people different prices</a>. Most of the tracking is done by recording interactions with servers, but proprietary software contributes.</p> </li> <li><p><a href="http://japandailypress.com/government-warns-agencies-against-using-chinas-baidu-application-after-data-transmissions-discovered-2741553/"> Baidu's Japanese-input and Chinese-input apps spy on users.</a></p> </li> <li><p>Pages that contain “Like” buttons <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/facebooks-privacy-lie-aussie-exposes-tracking-as-new-patent-uncovered-20111004-1l61i.html"> enable Facebook to track visitors <li id="M201405140"> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190421070310/https://www.itproportal.com/2014/05/14/microsoft-openly-offered-cloud-data-fbi-and-nsa/"> Microsoft SkyDrive allows the NSA to those pages</a>—even users that don't have Facebook accounts.</p> directly examine users' data</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Many <li id="M201210240"> <p>Many web sites rat their visitors to advertising networks that track users. Of the top 1000 web sites, <a href="https://www.law.berkeley.edu/research/bclt/research/privacy-at-bclt/web-privacy-census/">84% (as of 5/17/2012) fed their visitors third-party cookies, allowing other sites to track them</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Many <li id="M201208210"> <p>Many web sites report all their visitors to Google by using the Google Analytics service, which <a href="http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/434164/google_analytics_breaks_norwegian_privacy_laws_local_agency_said/"> tells Google the IP address and the page that was visited.</a></p> visited</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Many <li id="M201200000"> <p>Many web sites try to collect users' address books (the user's list of other people's phone numbers or email addresses). This violates the privacy of those other people.</p> </li> <li><p><a href="http://www.itproportal.com/2014/05/14/microsoft-openly-offered-cloud-data-fbi-and-nsa/"> Microsoft SkyDrive allows the NSA <li id="M201110040"> <p>Pages that contain “Like” buttons <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/technology/facebooks-privacy-lie-aussie-exposes-tracking-as-new-patent-uncovered-20111004-1l61i.html"> enable Facebook to directly examine users' data</a>.</p> track visitors to those pages</a>—even users that don't have Facebook accounts.</p> </li> </ul> <!-- WEBMASTERS: make sure to place new items on top under each subsection --> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInChrome">Spyware in Chrome</h4> id="SpywareInJavaScript">JavaScript</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInChrome">#SpywareInChrome</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li><p>Google Chrome contains a key logger that href="#SpywareInJavaScript">#SpywareInJavaScript</a>)</span> </div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201811270"> <p>Many web sites use JavaScript code <a href="http://www.favbrowser.com/google-chrome-spyware-confirmed/"> sends Google every URL href="http://gizmodo.com/before-you-hit-submit-this-company-has-already-logge-1795906081"> to snoop on information that users have typed in</a>, one key at into a time.</p> form but not sent</a>, in order to learn their identity. Some are <a href="https://www.manatt.com/Insights/Newsletters/Advertising-Law/Sites-Illegally-Tracked-Consumers-New-Suits-Allege"> getting sued</a> for this.</p> <p>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>.</p> </li> <li><p>Google Chrome includes a module that <li id="M201807190"> <p>British Airways used <a href="https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2015/06/google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth/"> activates microphones and transmits audio href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/19/17591732/british-airways-gdpr-compliance-twitter-personal-data-security">nonfree JavaScript on its web site to give other companies personal data on its servers</a>.</p> customers</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Google Chrome makes it easy for an extension to do <li id="M201712300"> <p>Some JavaScript malware <a href="https://labs.detectify.com/2015/07/28/how-i-disabled-your-chrome-security-extensions/">total snooping on href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/30/16829804/browser-password-manager-adthink-princeton-research"> swipes usernames from browser-based password managers</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201711150"> <p>Some websites send JavaScript code to collect all the user's browsing</a>, and many of them do so.</p> input, <a href="https://freedom-to-tinker.com/2017/11/15/no-boundaries-exfiltration-of-personal-data-by-session-replay-scripts/">which can then be used to reproduce the whole session</a>.</p> <p>If you use LibreJS, it will block that malicious JavaScript code.</p> </li> </ul> <div class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInFlash">Spyware in Flash</h4> id="SpywareInFlash">Flash</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInFlash">#SpywareInFlash</a>)</span> </div> <ul> <li><p>Flash <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201310110"> <p>Flash and JavaScript are used for <a href="http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/10/top-sites-and-maybe-the-nsa-track-users-with-device-fingerprinting/"> “fingerprinting” devices</a> to identify users.</p> </li> <li id="M201003010"> <p>Flash Player's <a href="http://www.imasuper.com/66/technology/flash-cookies-the-silent-privacy-killer/"> cookie feature helps web sites track visitors</a>.</p> </li> <li><p>Flash is also used for <a href="http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/10/top-sites-and-maybe-the-nsa-track-users-with-device-fingerprinting/"> “fingerprinting” devices </a> to identify users.</p> </li> </ul> <p><a href="/philosophy/javascript-trap.html">Javascript code</a> is another method of “fingerprinting” devices.</p> <!-- #SpywareEverywhere --> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareEverywhere">Spyware Everywhere</h3> class="big-subsection"> <h4 id="SpywareInChrome">Chrome</h4> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareEverywhere">#SpywareEverywhere</a>)</span> href="#SpywareInChrome">#SpywareInChrome</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <ul> <li><p>The natural extension <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201704131"> <p>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 monitoring people through “their” phones 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.</p> <p>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="http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2016/01/fool-activity-tracker.html"> proprietary 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 make sure they can't “fool” migrate the monitoring</a>.</p> </li> <li><p><a href="http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/134954-cortana-is-always-listening-with-new-wake-on-voice-tech-even-when-windows-10-is-sleeping"> Intel devices will be able public schools to listen free software.</p> </li> <li id="M201507280"> <p>Google Chrome makes it easy for speech all an extension to do <a href="https://labs.detectify.com/2015/07/28/how-i-disabled-your-chrome-security-extensions/">total snooping on the time, even when “off.”</a></p> user's browsing</a>, and many of them do so.</p> </li> <li id="M201506180"> <p>Google Chrome includes a module that <a href="https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2015/06/google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth/"> activates microphones and transmits audio to its servers</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201308040"> <p>Google Chrome <a href="https://www.brad-x.com/2013/08/04/google-chrome-is-spyware/"> spies on browser history, affiliations</a>, and other installed software.</p> </li> <li id="M200809060"> <p>Google Chrome contains a key logger that <a href="http://www.favbrowser.com/google-chrome-spyware-confirmed/"> sends Google every URL typed in</a>, one key at a time.</p> </li> </ul> <!-- #SpywareInVR --> <div class="big-section"> <h3 id="SpywareInVR">Spyware In VR</h3> id="SpywareInNetworks">Spyware in Networks</h3> <span class="anchor-reference-id">(<a href="#SpywareInVR">#SpywareInVR</a>)</span> href="#SpywareInNetworks">#SpywareInNetworks</a>)</span> </div> <div style="clear: left;"></div> <ul> <li><p>VR equipment, measuring every slight motion, creates the potential <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M201902040"> <p>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>.</p>
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