Buzzwords of the Day 03-06-2024
/Buzzwords of the Day 3-6-2024
#This Week's Buzzwords:
declare -a Buzzword = { "Privacy", "Piracy" }
$Buzzword{0}= "Privacy" - Avast, ye scallywags! Stop selling my data!
Ask any average Windows users about their home computer security, and most will tell you they have some sort of anti-virus software installed. Many use less-than-stellar (arugably, "virus-like") programs like MacAfee or Norton, while others sought more 'privacy-friendly' solutions. Many of that latter group found Avast, a low-cost (with free path) alternative to bulkier, less helpful solutions. Avast marketed their software would "block annoying tracking cookies that collect data on [users'] browsing activities". As it turns out, Avast's parent company was selling 'anonymized' datasets full of their end-users' web histories. Determining why this would even be a consideration requires some looking into the ownership of Avast. Around 2014, Avast's management pivoted the company publicly to an analytics provider, and began selling these datasets to advertisers & retailers alike.
Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined Avast $16.5 million and established provisions prohibiting them from ever selling data from any of their Avast-branded products, requiring deletion of existing data, notifying clients & obtaining consent for any future collected data, and to re-develop their privacy policy. You can read the full FTC complaint details at the link below, and stay tuned for a special piece coming soon, "In Defense of Windows Defender" (with cybersecurity experts).
Source Context:
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$Buzzword{1}= "Piracy" - Nintendo says "No Yuzu for you...zu"
Nintendo rocked the emulation world hard this week, effectively crushing software publisher Tropic Haze (makers of popular 3DS and Switch emulator software). For the uninitiated, emulation is a process of using a computer to virtually simulate real hardware (a process called virtualization) like a computer or a game console. This software by itself is legal to run and own, as it can be used to test home-brewed software on a more "realistic" environment. Nintendo's claim here is that Yuzu (Tropic Haze's Switch emulator) violates their copyrights and enables piracy. In Nintendo's eyes, Yuzu cannot be used without violation of their copyright, as the software requires a copy of a legitimate BIOS (Basic Input Output System) pulled from a real Nintendo Switch.
Following Nintendo's threats of legal action, Tropic Haze made the decision to shutter their business and cease operations immediately. Their websites for Yuzu & Citra (their 3DS emulator) return a short explanation of the situation written by Tropic Haze, with no available links to download either program functioning anymore. This move sent waves of concern across the emulation community, many of whom hope other preferred emulators remain undetected or unscathed.
