Spyware coverage incomplete - limited to Dash

[Constance C]

The new spyware feature of Unity Dash in 12.10 is a welcome improvement, but needs to be extended to all Ubuntu packages.

Ever since I switched my home computers to GNU/Linux, closed my Facebook account and stopped using Google Search, I have been suffering. Finally now with Dash, some of my private information is once again being disclosed along with my IP address to Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, BBC and Canonical, but this is limited.

Dangerous gaps still remain in my files in the mass surveillance databases of several governments. Plus I find myself at the supermarket wondering what to buy, not having seen enough targeted advertising.

I have tried calling Amazon and asking them to send someone around who can watch everything I do outside of Dash and then shout personalized advertisements at me, but they have refused. Likewise, no government would send a spook around specifically to record my computing actions. Apparently when it comes to mass coverage, they all rely on the vast economies provided by software with built-in spying.

Ubuntu is to be commended for finally introducing automatic spying for profit to the world of GNU/Linux and so-called "free" software, but at the moment it doesn't go far enough.

It needs to be extended to every package. I was thinking -- my computer has a webcam. You could even include some code to secretly turn it on to record images of myself, my wife and my children, tag them and then pass them along to Facebook to include in its mass biometrics database. I would feel much safer if this were the case, plus possibly you could strike a deal with a cosmetics company to provide customised cosmetics purchase suggestions.

In fact, perhaps you could incorporate the webcam app with a system-wide keylogger which sends all keystrokes and screen shots back to Canonical for further distribution. You could call it Unity Telescreen.

[Vibhav Pant (vibhavp)]

Marking invalid. There is no need to collect data for personalized advertisements. The shopping lens only serves only for searching Amazon and displaying the results in the dash as suggestions.

[Constance C (russell2pi)]

Please observe the screenshot. Using dash now constitutes agreement for Canonical to store all of your search terms and your IP address and to pass this information (including IP address) along to Facebook, Twitter, BBC, Amazon.

[Roland (Rolandixor) Taylor (rolandixor)]

Do you also need someone to pass on your info to the TV stations? This can be done for you free of cost.

[Olivier El Mekki (oelmekki)]

That's a wonderful idea, Constance.

I think ubuntu should be leading the innovation in term of transparency.

I would also recommend making a deal with Stratfor to complete the amazon one. Maybe we may connect ubuntu installations to TrapWire ? This would provide incredibly worthy data to secure our nations.

We also should add a note in the licence agreement to make it clear that we are human and that users recognize to already trust us by using our software, so we can move forward more quickly when implementing such innovative and useful features, without wasting time to discuss it or make announcements.

[doweller (do-weller)]

We should also provide filters inside Ubuntu for some external websites (maybe based on words and not urls only)! User should not be frightened by reports like that of Mr Richard Stallman http://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/ubuntu-spyware-what-to-do who misuses the term "Spyware" for obvious political reasons, but protected from such things - transparently of course. The use of deep packet inspection technology to filter https connections too should be considered.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for Ubuntu because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

[Jop (jopv)]

This bug is bullshit that's meant to put extra focus on FUD points. Why is it marked as critical?

[david wood (david-wood)]

It's not the awful decision, but the people trying to justify it that turned my stomach.

One more long-time user switching to Mint. Bye guys.