www.gnu.org - News: Malware in Proprietary Software - Latest Additions

Malware in Proprietary Software - Latest Additions

Item posted by Dora Scilipoti <dora> on Thu 09 Jul 2020 04:49:14 PM UTC.

The initial injustice of proprietary software often leads to further injustices: malicious functionalities.

The introduction of unjust techniques in nonfree software, such as backdoors, DRM, tethering and others, has become ever more frequent. Nowadays, it is standard practice.

We at the GNU Project show examples of malware that has been introduced in a wide variety of products and dis-services people use everyday, and of companies that make use of these techniques.

Here are our latest additions:

Malware In Cars

• BMW will remotely enable and disable functionalities in cars through a universal back door.

Surveillance

• “Bossware” is malware that bosses coerce workers into installing in their own computers so the bosses can spy on them.

This shows why requiring the user's “consent” is not an adequate basis for protecting digital privacy. The boss can coerce most workers into consenting to almost anything, even probable exposure to contagious disease that can be fatal. Software like this should be illegal and bosses that demand it should be prosecuted for it.