fpp about program sending data back secretly December 15, 2015 6:20 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for an FPP about a free program that was secretly sending data back to its creator.
It did NOT have to do with the NSA or government spying. As far as I can remember, it was one of those Windows one-off apps you download to do something, was a free download, and looked otherwise innocuous, but apparently it was sending data secretly back to its creator. The creator was just one of those guys who writes free Windows apps for download, not a corporation or anything. Anyone remember this? Thanks!
It did NOT have to do with the NSA or government spying. As far as I can remember, it was one of those Windows one-off apps you download to do something, was a free download, and looked otherwise innocuous, but apparently it was sending data secretly back to its creator. The creator was just one of those guys who writes free Windows apps for download, not a corporation or anything. Anyone remember this? Thanks!
Here's one about Adobe Digital Editions. The malware and spyware tags have more examples.
posted by mbrubeck at 8:02 AM on December 15, 2015
posted by mbrubeck at 8:02 AM on December 15, 2015
Was it the thing that lets you watch regionally-locked youtube videos no matter where you are from? I vaguely remember something like that happening. maybe.
posted by poffin boffin at 8:57 AM on December 15, 2015
posted by poffin boffin at 8:57 AM on December 15, 2015
I'm pretty sure that extension was/is Hola! and there was a FPP for it Here.
posted by Skephicles at 9:06 AM on December 15, 2015
posted by Skephicles at 9:06 AM on December 15, 2015
*pretty sure that's what poffin boffin is remembering. The specifics of it (it was a botnet instead of stealing user data, it's a company instead of one guy) don't totally match what pravit is requesting.
posted by Skephicles at 9:12 AM on December 15, 2015
posted by Skephicles at 9:12 AM on December 15, 2015
Hah, there's been a lot of posts about this general topic through the years. From a (now defunct) list of apps that phone home in 2000, to one about Windows 10 collecting data.
After perusing recent posts with the privacy tag, my best guess is We Own You, about an anonymous free-to-play developer, beanplating-spilling.
posted by aubilenon at 11:11 AM on December 15, 2015
After perusing recent posts with the privacy tag, my best guess is We Own You, about an anonymous free-to-play developer, bean
posted by aubilenon at 11:11 AM on December 15, 2015
Closer to home there was a big kerfuffle over the Metafilthy extension phoning home.
posted by Mitheral at 12:03 PM on December 15, 2015
posted by Mitheral at 12:03 PM on December 15, 2015
WRT Hola I wish I could go back the 2-3 times I recommended the app to edit in a warning.
posted by maggieb at 2:12 PM on December 15, 2015
posted by maggieb at 2:12 PM on December 15, 2015
Comet Cursor and HotBar did this. There was also controversy about flashlight apps for mobile phones.
posted by rhizome at 7:52 PM on December 15, 2015
posted by rhizome at 7:52 PM on December 15, 2015
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posted by Going To Maine at 8:01 AM on December 15, 2015