Slashdot Mirror
Spyware in Kazaa, Limewire, Grokster
BigMacMike writes: "The San Francisco Chronicle (via the sfgate.com website) has a story that Kazaa, LimeWire, and others have secretly hidden software in their applications that track users' browsing habits." Not the first time. The corporate response is that they literally didn't know what was in these secondary applications that they were providing to be downloaded and installed alongside their primary program. Believe it if you wish.
IMO, spyware is the single issue that is going to weigh heaviest in the scales in the eventual switch of businesses (and sensible users) from CSS to OSS.
It's a real shame, though, that most businesses can't seem to see any value in the internet beyond collecting data about consumers.
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
another program that gives a user access to the gnutella network comes with 3 spyware programs to spy on users...
.free , .shop, .game and .xxx, etc, etc.... also, as they have to query an alternative DNS to let you access these sites, they will be able to track every visit to new.net-"powered" sites.
:-\
first being Onflow Media Player... it is a Flash-like browser plug-in which displays animations and transmits user behavior information (not further specified) to the Onflow central servers.
second being SaveNow... SaveNow displays context-related shopping pop-up windows in IE... the context information seems to reside on the client side so that no information has to be transmitted to the central server
third being New.net, which is an alternative Domain Name Service which allows you to connect to TLDs like
not to mention all of these programs have silent auto-updates...
why can't we all just use FreeNet?
"The ones who dont do anything are always the ones who try to pull you down" -- Henry Rollins
I don't know about anyone else, but anytime I install an app and I see that it has installed other crap without my permission, I dump it.
Netscape 6 pulled the same trick, covering my desktop with AOL ads. It lasted about 5 minutes before I got fed up and unintalled (only later found out about Mozilla).
It's time for distributors of software to be up-front about the adware/spyware/sleazeware that they bundle with their product. Until then, we'll have to vote with our disk space by not using these programs. Instead of Kazaa, check out Morpheus, which performs the same function but without the "Clicktilluwin" garbage.
The Day Our Eyes Were Opened
It was in the register (my other regular read who scoops slashdot at least 1/2 the time BTW) - and people above seem to have been missing the point, yes, this is not gator or some other silly thing, it's spyware classified as a trojan by antivirus vendors because, it appears, no-one knows what exactly it does.
LINKS: - the register article
zdnet on the trojan
symantec listing the file as a trojan
closed minded is as closed minded does
It seems the spyware is windows only. Also worth mentioning is that you can compile Limewire from CVS and doing that you will not compile the spyware. However...
Limewire (for Windows) installs spyware even if you uncheck the box!
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