<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" --> <!-- Parent-Version:1.851.96 --> <!--#set var="DISABLE_TOP_ADDENDUM" value="yes" --> <!-- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Generated from propr-blurbs.rec.Please do not editthis file manually !<ul class="blurbs">! Instead, edit /proprietary/workshop/mal.rec, then regenerate pages. See explanations in /proprietary/workshop/README.md. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --> <title>Proprietary Subscriptions - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/side-menu.css" media="screen,print" /> <!--#include virtual="/proprietary/po/proprietary-subscriptions.translist" --> <!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" --> <div class="nav"> <a id="side-menu-button" class="switch" href="#navlinks"> <img id="side-menu-icon" height="32" src="/graphics/icons/side-menu.png" title="Section contents" alt=" [Section contents] " /> </a> <p class="breadcrumb"> <a href="/"><img src="/graphics/icons/home.png" height="24" alt="GNU Home" title="GNU Home" /></a> / <a href="/proprietary/proprietary.html">Malware</a> / By type / </p> </div> <!--GNUN: OUT-OF-DATE NOTICE--> <!--#if expr="$OUTDATED_SINCE" --><!--#else --> <!--#if expr="$LANGUAGE_SUFFIX" --> <!--#set var="DISABLE_TOP_ADDENDUM" value="no" --> <!--#include virtual="/server/top-addendum.html" --> <!--#endif --> <!--#endif --> <div style="clear: both"></div> <div id="last-div" class="reduced-width"> <h2>Proprietary Subscriptions</h2><p><a href="/proprietary/proprietary.html">Other examples of proprietary malware</a></p><div class="infobox"> <hr class="full-width" /> <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> <p>This typically takes the form of malicious functionalities.</p> <hr class="full-width" /> </div> <div class="article"> <p>It sounds simple to say that a certain program “requires a subscription.” What that means concretely is that it contains a time bomb, so that it will refuse to operate after that date. Or else it is <ahref="/proprietary/proprietary-tethers.html">tetheredhref="/proprietary/proprietary-tethers.html#about-page">tethered to a server</a>, and that server checks the date. Either one is a malicious functionality.</p> <p>Examples of software subscriptions that harmed users directly are given below.</p> <div class="important"> <p>If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't here, please write to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a> to inform us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or two topresent the specifics.</p>serve as specific substantiation.</p> </div> <div class="column-limit" id="proprietary-subscriptions"></div> <ul class="blurbs"> <li id="M202008180"> <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2020-08</small>' --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" --> <p>Apple can remotely <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/aug/18/apple-sets-deadline-in-feud-with-fortnite-maker-epic-games"> cut off any developer's access to the tools for developing software</a> for iOS or MacOS.</p> <p>Epic (Apple's target in this example) makes nonfree games which have their own <a href="https://ekgaming.com/2019/03/17/is-the-epic-games-store-spying-on-your-computer/"> malicious features</a>, but that doesn't make it acceptable for Apple to have this sort of power.</p> </li> <li id="M202007020"> <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2020-07</small>' --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" --> <p>BMW is trying to <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/2/21311332/bmw-in-car-purchase-heated-seats-software-over-the-air-updates">lock certain features of its cars, and force people to pay to use part of the car they already bought</a>. This is done through forced update of the car software via a radio-operated back door.</p> </li> <li id="M201910071"> <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2019-10</small>' --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" --> <p>Adobe has <a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/adobe-to-ban-users-from-venezuela-due-to-us-executive-order/"> cancelled the software subscriptions of all users in Venezuela</a>. This demonstrates how a requirement for subscription can be turned into a tool for sabotage.</p> </li> <li id="M201902080"> <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2019-02</small>' --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" --> <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 paid for.</p> <p>Even though the ink subscription program may be cheaper in some specific cases, it spies on users, and involves totally unacceptable restrictions in the use of ink cartridges that would otherwise be in working order.</p> </li> <li id="M201711010"> <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2017-11</small>' --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" --> <p>Sony has brought back its robotic pet Aibo, this time <ahref="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/bj778v/sony-wants-to-sell-you-a-subscription-to-a-robot-dog-aibo-90s-pet">href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/bj778v/sony-wants-to-sell-you-a-subscription-to-a-robot-dog-aibo-90s-pet"> with a universal back door, and tethered to a server that requires a subscription</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201710040.1"> <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2017-10</small>' --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" --> <p>The Canary home surveillance camera has been sabotaged by its manufacturer, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/10/4/16426394/canary-smart-home-camera-free-service-update-change"> turning off many features unless the user starts paying for a subscription</a>.</p> <p>With manufacturers like these, who needs security breakers?</p> <p>The purchasers should learn the larger lesson and reject connected appliances with embedded proprietary software. Every such product is a temptation to commit sabotage.</p> </li> <li id="M201507150"> <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2015-07</small>' --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" --> <p>Microsoft Office forces users <ahref="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2948755/windows-apps/office-for-windows-10-will-require-office-365-subscription-on-pcs-larger-tablets.html">tohref="https://www.computerworld.com/article/2948755/office-for-windows-10-will-require-office-365-subscription-on-pcs-larger-tablets.html">to subscribe to Office 365 to be able to create/edit documents</a>.</p> </li> <li id="M201402200"> <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2014-02</small>' --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" --> <p><ahref="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/adobe-software-subscription-model-means-you-cant-own-your-software/">href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/adobe-software-subscription-model-means-you-cant-own-your-software/"> Adobe tools require a subscription</a>. Adobe also tried to <a href="http://chocolateandvodka.com/2014/02/20/adobe-creative-cloud-subscription-warning/"> rip people off by making the subscriptions annual</a>, but that is a secondary issue compared with the basic wrong of the time bomb. When a program proprietary, and even malware, don't get distracted by the secondary issues like price.</p><p>Please<p><small>(Please don't repeat the marketing term “Creative Cloud” except to express revulsion for it. The <a href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#CloudComputing"> term “cloud” is designed to cloud users'minds</a>.</p>minds</a>.)</small></p> </li> </ul></div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above</div> </div> <!--#include virtual="/proprietary/proprietary-menu.html" --> <!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" --> <divid="footer">id="footer" role="contentinfo"> <div class="unprintable"> <p>Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to <a href="mailto:gnu@gnu.org"><gnu@gnu.org></a>. 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