Linux Mint

Bug #1133777
Comment #16

Comment 16 for bug 1133777

Revision history for this message

Michael Farrell (micolous) wrote on 2013-11-13: Re: [Bug 1133777] Re: DNS hijacked in default installation by OpenDNS

#16

Clement,

On 13/11/13 03:14, Clement Lefebvre wrote:
> - Privacy concerns are peripheral to this. Everything we do is to improve Mint, including adding DNS Fallback at the time, and removing it right now. ISPs know much more than OpenDNS since they don't just know what you're visiting but also your real name, your address, your phone number, your credit card details and so on.

Yes, but my ISP is bound by a few laws which OpenDNS are not:

- Privacy Act 1988
- Telecommunications Act 1997

I also have an avenue to chase them down with, called the
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. They levy fines on ISPs for even
receiving a complaint. They levy more fines against ISPs if the dispute
is not resolved in a timely manner.

OpenDNS I have no such recourse with.

My own ISP also actually respect user privacy by:

- Actively fighting against lobby groups who aimed to have access to
customer information, even when it cost them million of dollars to
defend against it.
- Only intercepting and interrupting communications when required to by
law, and not being party to back-room deals.

This is a choice I make, and why I'm happy to continue being their customer.

Mint sabotaged this by not disclosing when it was sharing information
from my computer with third parties. If Mint was made by an Australian
company, it would have violated the law.

> DNS Fallback isn't the first time Mint ventures outside the boundaries
> of what other distros do and solve something on its own. We were proud
> of it, I'm still proud of the way we tried and took the initiative

It's nice that you take initiative to do these things, but they have to
be well thought out, and consider privacy, and get user feedback. Users
need to be informed when you're sharing information from their computer
with Mint or with third parties. There was no such disclosure.

It would be why I'd also be annoyed if Mint decided to overclock my CPU
without asking. Or upload all of my photos to a web photo sharing service.

It's why the implementation of the shopping lens in Ubuntu is so terrible.

Michael

Clement,

Yes, but my ISP is bound by a few laws which OpenDNS are not:

- Privacy Act 1988
- Telecommunications Act 1997

I also have an avenue to chase them down with, called the 
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.  They levy fines on ISPs for even 
receiving a complaint.  They levy more fines against ISPs if the dispute 
is not resolved in a timely manner.

OpenDNS I have no such recourse with.

My own ISP also actually respect user privacy by:

- Actively fighting against lobby groups who aimed to have access to 
customer information, even when it cost them million of dollars to 
defend against it.
- Only intercepting and interrupting communications when required to by 
law, and not being party to back-room deals.

This is a choice I make, and why I'm happy to continue being their customer.

Mint sabotaged this by not disclosing when it was sharing information 
from my computer with third parties.  If Mint was made by an Australian 
company, it would have violated the law.

It's nice that you take initiative to do these things, but they have to 
be well thought out, and consider privacy, and get user feedback.  Users 
need to be informed when you're sharing information from their computer 
with Mint or with third parties.  There was no such disclosure.

It would be why I'd also be annoyed if Mint decided to overclock my CPU 
without asking.  Or upload all of my photos to a web photo sharing service.

It's why the implementation of the shopping lens in Ubuntu is so terrible.

Michael