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Steve Gibson's July/2000 News from GRC.COM ...

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Hello Bruce,

 

_______________

 

The NetZip, Netscape/AOL, and Real Networks

Download Utilities *ARE* Spying On Us!

_______________

 

 

Before I tell you about this latest threat to our privacy ...

 

I MUST ASK YOU PLEASE not to reply directly to this eMail. This

mailing is being sent to more than 320,000 people, so there is

JUST NO WAY for us to read and answer individual questions.

 

However, we have created a FREE DISCUSSION FORUM you are

invited to use for asking questions and getting more

information. Any standard Internet newsreader -- like those

included in Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator -- can be

used to participate in the free discussion forums at grc.com.

Just click the link below to launch your reader and begin

participating ...

 

<a href= "news://grc.com/newsletter" >The Newsletter Forum</a>

 

Or, if that doesn't work, you can access the forum through our

web-based interface (though it is much less cool.)

 

<a href= "http://grc.com/newsletter.htm'>http://grc.com/newsletter.htm" >Web Discussion</a>

 

 

A SERIOUS New Spyware Threat ...

 

NetZip's "Download Demon" was purchased by Real Networks and

renamed "Real Download". then Netscape/AOL licensed it from

Real and called it "Netscape Smart Download."

 

By watching the "packet traffic" flowing in and out of one of

my machines while downloading a file through the Internet, I

verified the rumors which you may have heard regarding these

programs: All of these programs immediately tag your computer

with a unique ID, after which EVERY SINGLE FILE you download

from ANYWHERE on the Internet (even places that might not be

anyone else's business) is immediately reported back to the

program's source where it is logged and recorded along with

your machine's unique ID. They also have the opportunity to

capture and record your machine's unique Internet IP address.

 

This information is then compiled and used to create

a detailed "profile" about who you are based upon the

web sites you visit and the files you have downloaded.

 

Perhaps you don't mind being watched and tracked as you move

around the Internet ... and then having every file you download

logged and cataloged and used to assemble "your profile". But

the idea of this seems extremely invasive to me, and unless you

have carefully read the program's license you might not be

aware that this is going on or that "you agreed to it" when you

accepted the terms of the license!

 

More than 14 Million people are already using the original

NetZip Download Demon. NetZip knows the exact number, since

every copy of their program "phones home" to report on what

their users are doing! And I'm sure people are downloading Real

Network's ReadDownload and Netscape's SmartDownload like crazy.

 

A Class Action lawsuit was recently filed against Netscape/AOL

because of this privacy invasion, so perhaps the PC industry

will begin to receive the message that this sort of secret

spying and profiling is not okay with the rest of us, even if

it is buried within a lengthy license agreement. You decide.

 

And, of course, the next release of my own OptOut spyware

detection and removal utility WILL consider these programs to

be dangerous, and warn its users of their presence in their

systems. But I wanted to be sure that you knew RIGHT AWAY what

was going on, and that I had independently confirmed that this

invasive file download tracking really was occurring.

 

If you have questions or comments, please see ...

 

<a href= "news://grc.com/newsletter" >The Newsletter Forum</a>

 

... or ...

 

<a href= "http://grc.com/newsletter.htm'>http://grc.com/newsletter.htm" >Web Discussion</a>

 

_______________

 

Thank you for your time. I hope this has been useful to you.

 

Steve Gibson. <a href= "http://grc.com/" >GRC Website</a>

 

______________

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