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EFF: Privacy in Ubuntu 12.10: Amazon Ads and Data Leaks
The Electronic Frontier Foundation expresses
privacy concerns with the new internet search added to Ubuntu 12.10.
"It's a major privacy problem if you can't find things on your own
computer without broadcasting what you're looking for to the world. You
could be searching for the latest version of your résumé at work because
you're considering leaving your job; you could be searching for a domestic
abuse hotline PDF you downloaded, or legal documents about filing for
divorce; maybe you're looking for documents with file names that will gave
away trade secrets or activism plans; or you could be searching for a file
in your own local porn collection. There are many reasons why you wouldn't
want any of these search queries to leave your computer." The
article also includes instructions to opt-out.
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EFF: Privacy in Ubuntu 12.10: Amazon Ads and Data Leaks Posted Oct 31, 2012 8:49 UTC (Wed) by Seegras (subscriber, #20463) [Link]
As it happens, this "feature" probably doesn't comply with most European privacy protection acts. Very bad decision, not only from a users perspective, but also that it makes possible for governments to ban Ubuntu.
EFF: Privacy in Ubuntu 12.10: Amazon Ads and Data Leaks Posted Oct 31, 2012 10:41 UTC (Wed) by njwhite (subscriber, #51848) [Link]
Really? 'Cos there's a slew of proprietary software that does much worse than this. Why isn't it banned by EU governments? Is it because it's on my default, without a legal disclaimer that a user has to click the "whatever, let me use the software" button?
EFF: Privacy in Ubuntu 12.10: Amazon Ads and Data Leaks Posted Oct 31, 2012 11:01 UTC (Wed) by njwhite (subscriber, #51848) [Link]
sorry, typo; s/my/by
EFF: Privacy in Ubuntu 12.10: Amazon Ads and Data Leaks Posted Oct 31, 2012 13:12 UTC (Wed) by dps (subscriber, #5725) [Link]
Most EU data privacy provisions, which are not optional, are satisfied if:
1. You tell the right people what data you are collecting and why
Note that 5 means transmitting non-anonymous data to the US is usually illegal. There are also exceptions for outfits like the police and spies. So if commercial spyware properly registers the data in question, and does not send to places like the US, then legal problems are improbable.
The current legislation does not make it illegal to collect personal data for marketing purposes provided you register it properly.
EFF: Privacy in Ubuntu 12.10: Amazon Ads and Data Leaks Posted Oct 31, 2012 10:39 UTC (Wed) by njwhite (subscriber, #51848) [Link]
Ah, that's a wonderfully written, clear, well-researched article. Thanks, EFF!
EFF: Privacy in Ubuntu 12.10: Amazon Ads and Data Leaks Posted Oct 31, 2012 17:22 UTC (Wed) by mabradford (guest, #87556) [Link]
I wrote a article some years ago about Microsoft having little small programs installed that not only searches your entire system for things to get drivers for -- but, in fact -- those 3 little programs send back tiny snapshots of your hard disk back to Microsoft to be most likely reassembled to see what you are running in terms of programs. Microsoft's answer was that "It makes no difference what machine is loaded with Microsoft's OS's or other program apps -- it is totally legal to see this information that it gets from your computer or other equipment because any and all data created with Microsoft's property such as it's OS's and applications such as the Office Suites -- belongs to the Microsoft Corporation. Those 3 little programs are still the main search applications written for DOS3 back in the day. Back then the information wouldn't get back to Microsoft unless there was indeed a phone line hooked in and active. Even if there was no activity from you on the modem, the 3 little programs would initialize the modem and send the information collected back to the Microsoft servers for inspection. Even after that article and Microsoft fessing up -- there was never a government complaint or any complaints from the private sector. Geesh -- after 25 years of Microsoft collecting information on your computers and the programs you run that might be or might not be Microsoft's -- why is there all this hysteria now. OMG people...if not's like you have any privacy anymore...which you don't. I think it's just one more worm to squawk about.
EFF: Privacy in Ubuntu 12.10: Amazon Ads and Data Leaks Posted Oct 31, 2012 17:38 UTC (Wed) by viro (subscriber, #7872) [Link]
Which binaries in, say, MS-DOS 3.30 install would those be? I very strongly suspect that you are spouting bullshit, but I'm willing to apologize if you can supply a verifiable information. Pathnames, please.
EFF: Privacy in Ubuntu 12.10: Amazon Ads and Data Leaks Posted Oct 31, 2012 18:50 UTC (Wed) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]
It may be a misremembering of the scares over just what info Windows Update was sending back to MS (which did include weird stuff like the BIOS serial number which it is hard to imagine a legitimate use for).
However, much of the rest is either bizarre (the only case where MS has ever claimed that stuff you generate with their tools is their property is some output of their own compilers, I think: they are not legal ignoramuses, juwt typically prone to corporate overreach). As for claiming that DOS 3 *had* any 'search applications', let alone claiming that anything could connect to the Internet without your permission, given the wild variety of distinct dialler programs in use in the DOS 3 days... well, there's no way that mabradford is remembering accurately. Even if you wanted to programmatically connect to the Internet in the DOS 5 days, you had to specialize it for one dialer: back in the DOS 3 days, DOS and the Internet had pretty much not heard of each other outside very specialist communities indeed. Naturally DOS never came with any sort of standard TCP/IP stack, which would make a search tool sending anything anywhere a hard proposition indeed.
I wonder if mabradford is just too young to remember those days? It's quite possible: someone born when DOS 3.3 was released is a quarter of a century old now...
I commend you on your scientifically accurate use of the term 'bullshit'. It's rare to see someone using the term according to Frankfurt's definition, despite the prevalence of bullshit in that sense all around us.
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