Spyware on My Machine? So What?

Found on Wired on Monday, 06 December 2004
Browse Computer

"Typically the assumption has been that spyware sneaks onto computers, or users are unaware of what they have agreed to install," said Gregg Mastoras, a senior security analyst at antivirus vendor Sophos. "But some people actually do knowingly install adware because they want to use a particular application that comes bundled with it. Some just aren't particularly concerned by adware's presence on their computers."

IMesh, maker of a popular file-sharing application, recently began bundling an application called Marketscore. Some would view Marketscore as a privacy nightmare: The program routes all of a user's web traffic through Marketscore's own servers, where it is then analyzed to "create research reports on internet trends and e-commerce activities," according to Marketscore.

But some users of iMesh didn't seem to be troubled by the actions of Marketscore. Users at iMesh forums chided those who complained, posting messages stating that "without spyware there's no such thing as free software."

According to its privacy policy, Marketscore also monitors users' online behavior by "routing your internet activities through our service and logging information about the web pages that you visit and the actions that you take, such as the purchases and transactions you make, the pace and style with which you enter information online and request web pages, including whether you click on links, type in web-page names or use shortcut keys."

If those people represent the human future: good night. The fact that they think spy-/adware is necessary shows the broad idiocy. Most people are freaked out by stalkers and do everything to get rid of them; but spy-/adware is by far worse and they accept it. The solution is pretty simple tho: if a product installs software you don't want, don't use it. Not caring about it supports what the marketers want: transparent users. Is a Mr George Orwell in the room?