Naming and Shaming Toxic Web Apps

itwbennett writes "Stanford Law School has released a wiki called WhatApp?, where users can rate all manner of web apps, browsers, mobile platforms, mobile apps, and social network apps on their security, privacy, and openness. Currently, the wiki 'lists some 200+ apps, but most of them have not been reviewed yet. So they need a lot of help,' writes blogger Dan Tynan. 'To review an app you select it from the list, then fill out a 9-question form rating its privacy, security, and openness, ranging from 5 (very private, secure, and open) to 1 (a steaming pile of vulnerabilities and violations).'"

Comments

Wait

[malkir]

So all I have to do is download some shitty app and rate it, potentially exposing myself to the spyware/malware/security vulnerabilities were looking to avoid? Where do I sign up?

Re:Wait

[Some.Net(Guy)]

....someone is missing the point here.

Re:Wait

[WrongSizeGlass]

So all I have to do is download some shitty app and rate it, potentially exposing myself to the spyware/malware/security vulnerabilities were looking to avoid? Where do I sign up?

I'm surprised they don't have at least a 9 question application to signup and qualify the suckers, um, volunteers. I guess they'll let anyone test the apps? So it's Yelp but without the sales pressure?

That's nice and all, but...

[clang_jangle]

Isn't the whole point of free (as in gratis) web apps to capture and exploit user info? These companies providing them aren't charities.

Re:That's nice and all, but...

[iYk6]

Yes, presumably web apps will receive low scores. However, the list also includes "browsers, mobile platforms, mobile apps", so maybe you will find something in one of those categories that fits you better.

Web of Trust

[commodore64_love]

This rate-the-app project sounds similar to WOT. It sounds like a good idea to me, since Web of Trust has helped me avoid a lot of spybots and other crap. http://www.mywot.com/

Re:Web of Trust

[pgmrdlm]

I would rather give up a small bit of information about the web sites I visit then have identify theft occur which costs me legal fee's proving I am not the person using that identity. Have my bank account emptied. Have my checks deposited in someone else's bank account.

I would love to see a statistic of the number of people that committed suicide due to the loss of their credit and possibly job due to identity theft.

Its all about YOUR precious privacy and NEVER about the people that are losing EVERYTHING because you don't like a specific application/program/law that would help protect the victims.

By the way, you better turn off ALL Microsoft updates. You know that Microsoft has FULL access to EVERYTHING on your computer. You know damn well they are reviewing all of it. You are nothing but a number that they are crunching for every bit of data they can get.

Go put on your tin foil hat. You know the government is also beaming rays at you to steal your soul.

Re:Web of Trust

[AceofSpades19]

Well obviously, but sometimes you have to make a decision between which is worse

Hrm..

[Dread Pirate Skippy]

The people who are downloading these 'toxic' apps in the first place simply aren't going to visit this site before doing so. Folks who are already aware of the risks won't need a site like this to illustrate them...so who is this for?

Re:Hrm..

[Jurily]

All the people who don't fit into your generalizations.

Re:Hrm..

[selven]

These are WEB apps, not downloadable ones (technically, the client gets downloaded into your browser cache, but that's usually the extent of it). It's about the ongoing security risk and harm that the apps are causing, and if you've been using Rockbox (to use their hall of shame example) for a year and you stop because of the website, they've still done you a service.

Re:Hrm..

[clang_jangle]

These are WEB apps, not downloadable ones (technically, the client gets downloaded into your browser cache, but that's usually the extent of it)

That is incorrect.

if you've been using Rockbox (to use their hall of shame example)

Rock You Live != Rockbox!

You're like a regular font of disinformation here -- distracted much?

Re:Hrm..

[selven]

These are WEB apps, not downloadable ones (technically, the client gets downloaded into your browser cache, but that's usually the extent of it)

That is incorrect.

Please explain.

Re:Hrm..

[WrongSizeGlass]

Please explain.

Sure. I'll use a car analogy:

Salesman: Well I can't _give_ you the car, but I _can_ let you have this little number for practically nothing: only $38,000.
[bullets hit the car]
Homer: [suspicious] Hey, what are all these holes?
Salesman: [quickly] These are speed holes. They make the car go faster.
Homer: Oh, yeah. Speed holes!
[bullets riddle the car and smash the windshield]
Salesman: You want my advice? I think you should buy this car.

Any questions?

Re:Hrm..

[Rary]

These are WEB apps, not downloadable ones (technically, the client gets downloaded into your browser cache, but that's usually the extent of it)

That is incorrect.

Please explain.

The summary says "web apps". The actual website, however, says "online and mobile apps". What they're actually rating are mostly downloadable applications, although some really are web apps.

Re:The most toxic DESKTOP App

[coolsnowmen]

I can't sell if you are being serious, or you are tying to parody the stereotype of /. ers.

WhatApp

[$RANDOMLUSER]

So near and yet so far.

They could have used WhatsAppDoc.

Re:WhatApp

[JakartaDean]

Jesus you had me laughing out loud -- at work. Funniest thing I've seen on /.

Who is qualified to do this?

[yoblin]

How is anyone qualified to actually rate a WebApp on its security most of the time??? Certainly not the average user, and I doubt even a security researcher unless they are given access by the developer. Until it's too late, you won't know that the developer set all the server passwords to 'LOL' or is selling your information to criminals....

I saw this on SNL

[TheVidiot]

Oooooo eeeeee! WhatApp with that? WhatApp with that?

For this scheme to work...

[Lead Butthead]

For this scheme to work, the toxic app host/author has to know and a sense of moral. The very fact these apps exists implies their host/authors either have weaken or non-existent sense of moral, therefor this scheme will never fly.

RockYou is in the hall of shame, not RockBox

[Chris Pimlott]

You've made a mistake; RockYou Live is in their "penalty box", not RockBox. The two are totally unrelated; RockBox isn't even a webapp, it's an (excellent) open source firmware for portable music players. They don't ask for your personal information at all.

Dogfood

[pizza_milkshake]

I don't see an entry for itself

[ProductName] is lethal

[w0mprat]

Someone write up a warning about the [ProductName], I heard it's a Killer App!

How to play: substitute ProductName for iPad, Android, JooJoo etc

Hi

[marieosmond]

Thanks for the great update http://www.bankruptcyattorneyincalifornia.com/

I just contributed...

[Hurricane78]

I rated the “WhatApp?” wiki as really crappy and unable to overcome a singular bias towards the opinion of the most powerful entities. ;)

Re:A better way

[PopeRatzo]

Nobody recognizes sarcasm any more.

So sirius all the time, dawg.

Thanks!

[RyanCalo]

Thanks for all of the /. feedback. Love it. So, just to clarify: ratings and reviews are based on a lot of things---technical knowledge, close reads of supporting documentation, etc. We don't let "anyone" review apps. We have 20+ approved experts at this time, some with computer science backgrounds, others with legal knowledge, still others with a background in privacy compliance. That said, we don't want to raise the bar excessively high. If you read a review, you can judge for yourself based on the expert's bio whether you trust them. In addition to expert ratings and reviews, you have news feeds, a wiki, comments, and the opportunity for the developer to claim the app and add notes. WhatApp.org is trying to improve on the status quote---namely, jack. We have StopBadware.org for really malicious software, plus CNET and others write up apps from time to time from the perspective of security. Sitejabber.com also does a nice job with community review of websites. But I'm not aware of any central repository of information on consumer values like privacy, security, and openness of online and mobile apps. Improving on nothing is our (modest) goal. It's a work in progress, and we really appreciate the many, many people who have signed up to contribute. PS: One thing we could really use help on is adding apps. Any user can add an app to review. Please consider it.

OT: Windows 7 in 1/2 GB

[RAMMS EIN]

``OS 10.6 requires 1 gigabyte; no exceptions. But WIN7 runs well on just 1/2 GB. Apple's OS appears *twice* as bloated.''

I gather you are talking about RAM, not diskspace. But would you perchance have any pointers to reducing Windows 7 disk space usage? It irks me that an OS I rarely use sits there eating up > 10 GB of disk space, but I lack the knowledge of Windows to do something about it. If I could get the disk space