“Lately I’ve heard a lot on technical podcasts about the public outrage over “Microsoft Genuine Advantage” and the fact that it ‘phones home’ every day,” Daniel Jalkut reports for Red Sweater Blog.
“Apple released Mac OS X 10.4.7 last week, and ever since I installed it, I’ve been noticing Apple’s own modest home phoning behavior. In this case it’s ostensibly to provide users with the opportunity to check whether the Dashboard Widgets you download are identical to ones featured on Apple’s site. Sort of a security debriefing, I guess,” Jalkut reports.
From the 10.4.7 release notes:
You can now verify whether or not a Dashboard widget you downloaded is the same version as a widget featured on (http://www.apple.com) before installing it.
Jalkut writes, “The problem is this feature popped up without my permission, and there’s no obvious way for me to turn it off… I can’t see that anything at all is being sent back to Apple, but that’s sort of not the point. The mere act of “checking in” lets Apple know that I’m here and I’m running 10.4.7. They didn’t ask my permission to start making this regular checkin, and I’m not even sure what benefit I’m going to be getting out of allowing it.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Shades of the iTunes ‘MiniStore’ brouhaha (please see related articles below). Apple should ask permission first, explain what they are doing, and give users the option to turn the “feature” off if so desired.
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Related articles:
Apple’s iTunes MiniStore now asks for permission before operating – January 18, 2006
Critics say Apple snooping on users via new ITunes ‘MiniStore’ feature – January 13, 2006
clyde,
MDN criticizes Apple more than you think. One recent example (last week):
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/10022/
My NSA caseworker assures me this is completely innocuous.
Channel Z – all static, all the time.
as in Static Mesh
as in Oddyssey69
as in…
Let’s sum up your position once and for all, shall we?
“EFI / Trusted Computing Chips are the end! The END IS NIGH! REPENT!
And the SKY IS FALLING!
ALL YOUR BASE R BELONG TO US!”
Please, do us all a favor and just unplug your computer, take it up to a used computer store, sell it, and go buy a typewriter. Go to the library if you need to use the internet. Or better yet, buy a dictionary and encyclopedia and a newspaper every day.
Go to movies in the actual theaters, or better yet, go to a real “live” theatre with real actors in front of your eyes.
Buy your music on CD, or better yet, vinyl. Oh, gorsh – but beware the backward masking because the subliminal messages will get you. Next thing you know, you’ll be calling your mom on Mother’s Day, going to church, and getting a real job.
I own my computer, it doesn’t own me. And I can toss it aside any time. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Mac. But the day all your little nightmare scenarios come true, I switch to analog. Honestly though, this is one of many reasons WHY I use Macs. Because Apple has a TRACK RECORD of not checking up on me. Mac OS X is so far “behind” Windows it’s not funny. Let’s see:
Genuine “Mac OS” Advantage? Nope.
Looks at your computer’s components to generate a unique profile to identify your Mac? Nope.
Asks for validation key when you install? Nope.
Uses network checks to make sure the copy isn’t installed on multiple computers? Nope.
Does it even have a freaking serial number? Nope. It’s just a generic copy of Mac OS. Identical to every other.
And based on this, what makes you think that the Trusted Computing chip is now going to own you? Because Apple has been so invasive? Please. Based on features they’ve implemented (smart features, generally) that you don’t “like” because they didn’t “ask” you about them, and you can’t just “turn them off” easily, combined with the iTunes DRM (which the record labels demanded in the first place) – suddenly Apple is in the same league as Adobe and Microsoft in its Draconian practices.
You know what? If you do have a job in the US, or get paid in any legitimate way in the US, the Federal Government takes about 15% of your money without asking you (half from you, half from your employer – or all from you if you’re self-employed), puts it in a retirement plan that you have no say over, and guarantees you nothing in return. Someday, you may get money, or you might not. You can’t opt out. You can’t change options. They didn’t ask your permission.
You want to get upset about something important? Start there. Or any of 1000 other more important topics than Apple’s EFI / TC plans for world domination of your music and videos. Things that actually matter in the real world as opposed to your entertainment ownership rights.
MW: keep – as in Keep some perspective, man.
If everything of Apple’s that phones home is so sweet and innocent, why not tell the user it’s happening and provide a way to turn them off? For the same reason Microsoft doesn’t. Apple wants users’ data.
It is no more acceptable than a retailer smashing open your front door and marching into your house demanding to know how often you squeeze the toothpaste tube.
Fsck Apple, Microsoft and especially Stuffit, to name only three. Stuffit, that yappy little terrier that without Little Snitch forever nips at your heels demanding to phone home needs a swift kick in the balls. I hope it goes bankrupt.
If everything of Apple’s that phones home is so sweet and innocent, why not tell the user it’s happening and provide a way to turn them off? For the same reason Microsoft doesn’t. Apple wants users’ data for nothing. If it’s that precious, Apple should pay me for it. Otherwise, bugger off.
It is no more acceptable than a retailer smashing open your front door and marching into your house demanding to know how often you squeeze the toothpaste tube.
Fsck Apple, Microsoft and especially Stuffit, to name only three. Stuffit, that yappy little terrier that without Little Snitch forever nips at your heels demanding to phone home needs a swift kick in the balls. I hope it goes bankrupt.
Hello!?!?
There is a big difference between what MS did and Apple is doing.
MS was actually checking the operating system. On top of that they were sending you messages after inspecting your machine.
And the most important point they didn’t let on at all in their license agreement.
Apple is just checking on the widget and not threaten you based on what you have on your computer. It’s a different version of “software update”. At least they wrote what the Widget detector in their license agreement.
It’s really a totally separate issue.
Now with that being said:
Apple should have notified the user in a more prominent way and number two (most importantly) gave you an option to “opt-out”.
I have a feeling Apple with send a revision to give the user an option to “opt-out”.
My two cents.
Get wise people, Apple is snooping on your computer checking out all the software you have; if its pirated, if you bought it, how much you use Apple´s own software for vs. the competition…
Once there is a “phone home” your computer has left the barn door open for Apple to look around at anything you do or have on your computer.
Matt, you just made me feel much much older. That brown creature was “E.T.” in the 1982, Academy Award winning, Steven Spielberg movie “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial ].
I guess E.T. is now the “once famous” creature.
God, I feel so old!
Queezzie, software has been “phoning home” for like a decade now.
So the barn door’s been open for some time. Your point is pointless. Install Little Snitch if you like paying for privacy, or just unplug your computer from the internet. Simple, eh?
I feel like just screaming at these morons. Internet connections can be turned OFF! If you’re so damned worried about Apple spying on you – DISCONNECT. You don’t NEED the internet.
You know what? People can get your name and address from mail in your garbage. Companies regularly store your credit card information (even if they don’t tell you). The phone company has your social security number. The government has you owned. Get over it.
It’s the age of databases. Someone with the right access can literally learn everything about you if they really want to. Data is stored on computers, and most of it is accessible at various levels. Someone smart enough could own you.
Solution? Don’t ever install a phone, buy a computer, cable, satellite, a cell phone, get a credit card, or get a job. Pay all purchases with cash. Never frequent a business that monitors its premises with video cameras. Don’t go to banks, post offices, grocery stores, electronics stores, etc. Oops, too late. You’re owned.
Perhaps it would be easier to just buy an island and start over. Good luck with that.
The bottom line? You live with this invasion of privacy every day, from checking your email to pumping gas in your car, to paying for your bagel, to sitting at your desk, to buying your concert tickets, to paying your bills. This fight has been lost, the war is over. Data is king. Data is the new currency. Data is everywhere, it is stored regarding everything.
You want to be paranoid? I’m not saying you don’t have good reason to be. But with Apple you’re really picking the target that’s at about #4,345,697 on the list of offenders. Seriously, guys, get a life. Or go protest at a CitiBank building or something.
blucaso: “Internet connections can be turned OFF!”
`nuff said blucaso – you are an idiot.
Oh, yeah, I got that from your official profile we have on you in the office.
When someone steals your credit cards (which I doubt you have) or other financial information like a bank account code on your computer (but I doubt your mom has signed you up for a bank account yet) then don´t come whining to us.
Yes we know what porn you look at and that next job promotion or new job you thought you were going to get? Forget it.
Boy, you sure got me there. Yup. I’m 12 and I still watch Sesame Street every day.
Thanks for your highly intelligent refutation of my points. Such erudition!
So aside from being an idiot for suggesting that people close their door if they don’t like being spied on, and being called a porn-loving whining child, what other great thoughts do you have in that excuse for a cranium?
My points stand – if you think Apple’s infringing on your privacy, it’s hardly the prime target. If you really think your computer is going to be phoning home without your being able to stop it due to EFI, cut off its connection. If you think storing your personal information in databases is wrong and needs to be stopped, you’re too late, everyone’s doing it. I wasn’t saying infromation theft isn’t wrong, or should be easy, or shouldn’t be prosecuted. Simply saying that information is the new currency and its already being traded. Complaining about it now is sort of like protesting the coming reduction of horse-drawn buggies in favor of automobiles.
What was your point?
I feel like just screaming at these morons. Internet connections can be turned OFF! If you’re so damned worried about Apple spying on you – DISCONNECT. You don’t NEED the internet.
DUDE, your so full of sh*t.
The software WON’T FSCKING WORK UNLESS YOU MAINTAIN A NEAR CONSTANT INTERNET CONNECTION.
That’s the whole point to TRUSTED COMPUTING. So we don’t even have the option of not using the internet, it’s a MUST.
We can’t decide for ourselves what to trust on our machines, they are deciding it for us.
So if Sony decides to issue another Rootkit, since they are one of the “trusted members” they can get away with it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_computing
Watch the movie
http://www.lafkon.net/tc/
As Andy Warhol said in Stockholm, 1968:
In the future everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.
Here’s my slight antithesis:
In the future everyone will want to have 15 minutes of privacy.
MW ‘dead’ as in anymore quotes from famous dead people?
“Dude”, you are full of shit, not I. I don’t know what software you’re using, but here’s what I’m using frequently:
SuperDuper
Quicken2006
NoteBook
iCal
AddressBook
Pages
FileMaker7
AdobeCS2 (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.)
GraphicConverter
Quark6.5
iSale
iTunes
iPhoto
You know what? I just unplugged my net connection, and every one of these programs opened and worked just fine. What wouldn’t work is obvious: automatic update checks, online info. And of course, iWeb, Safari, and Mail.
The point is, if some program that doesn’t NEED access to the Web for its features REQUIRES you to let it get to the web – trash it. Find another program. Vote with your wallet. Send a letter to the company that made the program. Tell them you don’t want a Sony Rootkit-style disaster.
All I’m saying is simple: if there’s a real problem application, the PR will kill it. Sony backed down, apologized, and had a mess on their hands. I seriously doubt that Apple would make that mistake, but you never know. Any company can make stupid decisions.
But in the meantime, all of you guys screaming about “Trusted Computing” coming to Apple aren’t scaring me. The wikipedia link talks about how experts “believe” that it “would have” detrimental effects if implemented as they think it might be. Sounds like a lot of ifs. And the little movie just says “you don’t get to decide”. So? There’s about a zillion things on my computer I don’t get to decide. And my OS. And my programs. I don’t like Adobe’s installer. Too bad, it’s a condition of the software. Don’t like it? Don’t buy it. Same thing with TC chips. Don’t like it? Don’t buy it. They’ll figure it out if enough people agree. But I’ll wait until there actually is a problem before I go shouting about it.
Am I wary? Sure. I mean, my G5 iMac is plenty fast enough for me – I don’t NEED to upgrade any time soon, so I can wait and see what the future holds. But do I EXPECT Apple to allow Draconian measures and “anti-competitive” – no. Now if I used Windows, I’d be very worried. VERY very worried. Maybe worried enough to shout and make movies and go to websites about the evils of TC. Because Microsoft has a HISTORY of abusing power.
End of story. Still no sale.
Another way to turn it off:
http://pp.hillrippers.ch/blog/2006/07/04/Disable+the+dashboardadvisory-daemon/
In the way that Blucaso puts the issue and yes this really is a non-issue where Apple is concerned becuase as in most things Apple does, Apple does it right!
Since the disaster of Sony’s Rootkit has shaken the issue of TC in a bad way and well Microsoft’s Windows is a disaster zone in its own right. I am quite confident that Apples use of TC will be done the way it should be and as for asking for your permission, it does in the T&C’s I’m sure.
Programs like Little Snitch as mentioned are already out there and if you really don’t like a utility ‘phoning home’ without asking you first, go buy Little Snitch. At least I don’t have to keep digging into my pocket just to get the functionality I want from Apple as all Microsoft Windows users have to.
How many of you have heard, “I’ve just bought this computer and now I have to buy another piece of software just get to do what I wanted to in the first place, will this ever end”?
So yes, vote with your wallets instead of whining about it, that is how to get a company, large or small to sit up and take notice. Why do you think Microsoft sells such trash, becuase they know folks will buy it anyhow’s. Folks whine about it, but won’t buy anything else en masse, and yes they do know that Mac OSX is far better, but when it comes down to your word against the over paid and over staffed IT guys downstairs, who do you think will win out in that argument?