/proprietary/proprietary.html-diff
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<title>Proprietary Software
- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
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<h2>Proprietary Software Is Often Malware</h2>
<div id="skiplinks">
<p class="button"><a href="#TOC">Table of contents</a></p>
<p class="button"><a href="#latest">Latest additions</a></p>
</div>
<div style="clear: both"></div>
<div id="about-section">
<p>Proprietary software, also called nonfree software,
means software that doesn't
<a href="/philosophy/free-sw.html">respect users' freedom and
community</a>. A proprietary program puts its developer or owner
<a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">
in a position of power over its users.</a>
This power is in itself an injustice.</p>
<p>The point of this directory is to show by examples that the initial
injustice of proprietary software often leads to further injustices:
malicious functionalities.</p>
<p>Power corrupts; the proprietary program's developer is tempted to
design the program to mistreat its users. (Software designed to
function in a way that mistreats the user is called <em>malware</em>.)
Of course, the developer usually does not do this out of malice, but
rather to profit more at the users' expense. That does not make it
any less nasty or more legitimate.</p>
<p>Yielding to that temptation has become ever more frequent; nowadays
it is standard practice. Modern proprietary software is typically
an opportunity to be tricked, harmed, bullied or swindled.</p>
<p>Online services are not released software, but in regard to all the
bad aspects, using a service is equivalent to using a copy of released
software. In particular, a service can be designed to mistreat the
user, and many services do that. However, we do not list instances of
malicious dis-services here, for two reasons. First, a service
(whether malicious or not) is not a program that one could install a
copy of, and there is no way at all for users to change it. Second,
it is so obvious that a service can mistreat users if the owner wishes
that we hardly need to prove it.</p>
<p>However, most online services require the user to run a nonfree
app. The app <em>is</em> released software, so we do list malicious
functionalities of these apps. Mistreatment by the service itself is
imposed by use of the app, so sometimes we mention those mistreatments
too—but we try to state explicitly what is done by the app and
what is done by the dis-service.</p>
<p>When a web site provides access to a service, it very likely sends
nonfree JavaScript software to execute in the user's browser. Such
JavaScript code is released software, and it's morally equivalent to
other nonfree apps. If it does malicious things, we want to mention
them here.</p>
<p>When talking about mobile phones, we do
list <a href="/proprietary/malware-mobiles.html#phone-communications">one
other malicious characteristic, location tracking</a> which is caused
by the underlying radio system rather than by the specific software in
them.</p>
</div>
<p>As of (削除) December 2023, (削除ここまで) (追記) February 2026, (追記ここまで) the pages in this directory list around (削除) 600 (削除ここまで) (追記) 650 (追記ここまで)
instances of malicious functionalities (with more than (削除) 710 (削除ここまで) (追記) 790 (追記ここまで) references to
back them up), but there are surely thousands more we don't know about.</p>
<p>Ideally we would list every instance. If you come across an
instance which we do not list, please write to webmasters@gnu.org to
tell us about it. Please include a reference to a reputable (削除) article
that (削除ここまで) (追記) article—preferably
in English—that (追記ここまで) describes the malicious behavior clearly; we won't
list an item without documentation to point to.</p>
<p>If you want to be notified when we add new items or make other changes,
subscribe to the <a
href="https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/www-malware-commits">mailing list
<www-malware-commits@gnu.org></a>.</p>
<table id="TOC">
<tr>
<th>Injustices or techniques</th>
<th>Products or companies</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<ul class="columns">
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html">Addictions</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html">Back doors</a> (<a href="#f1">1</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-censorship.html">Censorship</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-coercion.html">Coercion</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-coverups.html">Coverups</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-deception.html">Deception</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-drm.html">DRM</a> (<a href="#f2">2</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-fraud.html">Fraud</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-incompatibility.html">Incompatibility</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-insecurity.html">Insecurity</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-interference.html">Interference</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-jails.html">Jails</a> (<a href="#f3">3</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-manipulation.html">Manipulation</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-obsolescence.html">Obsolescence</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-sabotage.html">Sabotage</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-subscriptions.html">Subscriptions</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-surveillance.html">Surveillance</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-tethers.html">Tethers</a> (<a href="#f4">4</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-tyrants.html">Tyrants</a> (<a href="#f5">5</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/potential-malware.html">In the pipe</a></li>
</ul>
</td>
<td>
<ul>
<li><a href="/proprietary/malware-appliances.html">Appliances</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/malware-cars.html">Cars</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/malware-in-online-conferencing.html">Conferencing</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/malware-edtech.html">EdTech</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/malware-games.html">Games</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/malware-mobiles.html">Mobiles</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/malware-webpages.html">Webpages</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="/proprietary/malware-adobe.html">Adobe</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/malware-amazon.html">Amazon</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/malware-apple.html">Apple</a></li>
<li><a href="/proprietary/malware-google.html">Google</a></li>
<li><a (追記) href="/proprietary/malware-hp.html">HP</a></li>
<li><a (追記ここまで) href="/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html">Microsoft</a></li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<ol>
<li id="f1"><em>Back door:</em> any feature of a program
that enables someone who is not supposed to be in control of the
computer where it is installed to send it commands.</li>
<li id="f2"><em>Digital restrictions management, or
“DRM”:</em> functionalities designed to restrict
what users can do with the data in their computers.</li>
<li id="f3"><em>Jail:</em> system that imposes censorship on
application programs.</li>
<li (削除) id="f4"><em>Tether:</em> functionality (削除ここまで) (追記) id="f4"><em>Tethers:</em> features (追記ここまで) that (削除) requires
permanent (or very frequent) connection to (削除ここまで) (追記) can function only
through communication with a restricted set of servers through (追記ここまで)
a (削除) server.</li> (削除ここまで) (追記) protocol that you could not make your own server speak.</li> (追記ここまで)
<li id="f5"><em>Tyrant:</em> system that rejects any operating
system not “authorized” by the manufacturer.</li>
</ol>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>Users of proprietary software are defenseless against these forms
of mistreatment. The way to avoid them is by insisting on
<a href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">free
(freedom-respecting) software</a>. Since free software is controlled
by its users, they have a pretty good defense against malicious
software functionality.</p>
<h3 id="latest">Latest additions</h3>
(削除) <p style="margin-bottom: .5em">
<!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2024-01</small>'
--><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" --></p>
<p id="uhd" class="important" style="margin-top: 0">
<strong><a href="/proprietary/articles/uhd-bluray-denies-your-freedom.html">
UHD Blu-ray denies your freedom</a> — The anatomy of an Authoritarian
Subjugation System</strong></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: .5em">
<!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2022-07</small>'
--><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" --></p>
<p id="uefi-rootkit" class="important" style="margin-top: 0">
<strong><a href="/proprietary/proprietary-insecurity.html#uefi-rootkit">
UEFI makes computers vulnerable to advanced persistent threats that are almost impossible
to detect once installed...</a></strong></p> (削除ここまで)
<ul class="blurbs">
<!-- Copied from workshop/mal.rec. Do not edit in proprietary.html. -->
<li (削除) id="M202405240"> (削除ここまで) (追記) id="M202604090"> (追記ここまで)
<!--#set var="DATE" value='<small (削除) class="date-tag">2024-05</small>' (削除ここまで) (追記) class="date-tag">2026-04</small>' (追記ここまで)
--><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
(削除) <p><a
href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/pleas-for-open-sourcing-refunds-as-spotify-plans-to-brick-car-thing-devices/">Spotify
sold a music streaming device but they no longer support it</a>. Due to
its proprietary nature, it can no longer be updated or even used. Users
requested Spotify to make the software that runs on the device libre,
and Spotify refused, so these devices are now e-waste. Spotify (削除ここまで)
(追記) <p>Amazon (追記ここまで) is
(削除) now offering refunds to save the purchasers from
losing money on these products, but this wouldn't prevent the products
from being e-waste, and wouldn't save users from being jerked around by
Spotify. This is an example of how software that is not free controls (削除ここまで) (追記) <a
href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/09/amazon-upsets-book-lovers-by-ending-support-for-old-kindles">
disconnecting (追記ここまで) the (削除) user instead (削除ここまで) (追記) early models (追記ここまで) of the (削除) user controlling the software. It is also an
important lesson for us to insist (削除ここまで) (追記) Swindle</a> from (追記ここまで) the (削除) software in a device be libre
before we buy it.</p> (削除ここまで) (追記) Amazon
DRM-afflicted book store.</p> (追記ここまで)
</li>
<!-- Copied from workshop/mal.rec. Do not edit in proprietary.html. -->
<li (削除) id="M202403150"> (削除ここまで) (追記) id="M202603240"> (追記ここまで)
<!--#set var="DATE" value='<small (削除) class="date-tag">2024-03</small>' (削除ここまで) (追記) class="date-tag">2026-03</small>' (追記ここまで)
--><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
(削除) <p><a
href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/15/24101887/microsoft-bing-popups-windows-11-google-chrome">
Microsoft is using malware tactics to get users to switch to
their web browser</a>, Microsoft Edge, and their search engine, Microsoft
Bing. When users launch the Google Chrome browser Microsoft injects
a pop up advertisement in the corner (削除ここまで)
(追記) <p>Some models of Vizio “smart” TVs will <a
href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/newly-purchased-vizio-tvs-now-require-walmart-accounts-to-use-smart-features/">
have some (追記ここまで) of (削除) the screen advising users to
switch to Bing. Microsoft also imported users Chrome browsing data
without (削除ここまで) their (削除) knowledge or consent.</p> (削除ここまで) (追記) functionalities locked</a> behind a Walmart
account login.</p> (追記ここまで)
</li>
<!-- Copied from workshop/mal.rec. Do not edit in proprietary.html. -->
<li (削除) id="M202403110"> (削除ここまで) (追記) id="M202510230"> (追記ここまで)
<!--#set var="DATE" value='<small (削除) class="date-tag">2024-03</small>' (削除ここまで) (追記) class="date-tag">2025-10</small>' (追記ここまで)
--><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
(削除) <p><a
href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240311120515/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/technology/carmakers-driver-tracking-insurance.html">
GM is spying on drivers</a> who own or rent their cars, and give (削除ここまで)
(追記) <p>Shake Shack requires users of its mobile app to <a
href="https://www.levernews.com/shakeshackled/"> sign (追記ここまで) away (削除) detailed driving data (削除ここまで) (追記) their</a>
right (追記ここまで) to (削除) insurance companies through data
brokers. These companies then analyze (削除ここまで) (追記) sue (追記ここまで) the (削除) data, and hike up insurance
prices (削除ここまで) (追記) company (追記ここまで) if they (削除) think the data denotes “risky driving.”
For the car to make this data available to anyone but the owner or
renter of the car should be a crime. If the car is owned by a rental
company, that company should not have access to it either.</p> (削除ここまで) (追記) order their meals from their
phones.</p> (追記ここまで)
</li>
<!-- Copied from workshop/mal.rec. Do not edit in proprietary.html. -->
<li (削除) id="M202312230"> (削除ここまで) (追記) id="M202602110"> (追記ここまで)
<!--#set var="DATE" value='<small (削除) class="date-tag">2023-12</small>' (削除ここまで) (追記) class="date-tag">2026-02</small>' (追記ここまで)
--><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
(削除) <p>Surveillance cameras put in by government
A (削除ここまで)
(追記) <p><a
href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-granted-patent-for-ai-llm-bot-dead-paused-accounts-2026-2">
Meta has been granted a patent</a> (追記ここまで) to (削除) surveil (削除ここまで) (追記) use so-called “<a
href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#ArtificialIntelligence">Artificial
Intelligence</a>” to impersonate human users in social
media platforms, (追記ここまで) for (追記) example people who are inactive or dead. To cover
itself from predictable controversies, Meta declared that (追記ここまで) it (削除) may be surveilling for
government B as well. That's because A put (削除ここまで) (追記) does not
intend to use the technology (追記ここまで) in (削除) a product <a
href="https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-cctv-moscow-spying-schemes-investigation/32747767.html">
made by B with nonfree software</a>.</p>
<p><small>(Please note that this article misuses (削除ここまで) the (削除) word “<a
href="/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Hacker">hack</a>” (削除ここまで) (追記) context of those examples. How
long before the “invention” is used (追記ここまで) to
(削除) mean “break security.”)</small></p> (削除ここまで) (追記) impersonate active,
living people?</p> (追記ここまで)
</li>
<!-- Copied from workshop/mal.rec. Do not edit in proprietary.html. -->
<li (削除) id="M202311101"> (削除ここまで) (追記) id="M202507160"> (追記ここまで)
<!--#set var="DATE" value='<small (削除) class="date-tag">2023-11</small>' (削除ここまで) (追記) class="date-tag">2025-07</small>' (追記ここまで)
--><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
(削除) <p>Microsoft (削除ここまで)
(追記) <p>HP (追記ここまで) has (削除) been annoying people who wanted to
close the proprietary program OneDrive on their computers, (削除ここまで) (追記) recently started pushing a (追記ここまで) <a
(削除) href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/8/23952878/microsoft-onedrive-windows-close-app-notification">
forcing them (削除ここまで)
(追記) href="https://web.archive.org/web/20260222235610/https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Gaming-Desktops/Still-getting-annoying-intrusive-HP-pop-up-ads-on-my-desktop/td-p/9436964">
spyware program called HPMediaNetwork.exe</a> into users'
computers exploiting a Windows universal back door via
Windows Update. The software, which is designed (追記ここまで) to (削除) give (削除ここまで) (追記) serve
personalized pop-up advertisements on (追記ここまで) the (削除) reason why they were closing it</a>. This
prompt was removed after public pressure.</p>
<p>This is a reminder that angry users still have (削除ここまで) (追記) user's screen,
runs in (追記ここまで) the (削除) power (削除ここまで) (追記) background (追記ここまで) to (削除) make
developers of proprietary software remove small annoyances. Don't
count on public outcry (削除ここまで) (追記) collect device and users' data that <a
href="https://www.adweek.com/commerce/hp-is-launching-an-ad-business-with-laptop-targeted-ads-and-a-streaming-service/">
HP sells (追記ここまで) to (削除) make them remove more profitable malware,
though. Run away from proprietary software!</p> (削除ここまで) (追記) advertising companies</a>. The malfeature is
implemented at both hardware and software levels, and <a
href="https://www.hp.com/us-en/privacy/hp-advertising.html">opting
out does not block ads</a> entirely.</p>
<p>Users can avoid this and other kinds of
mistreatment by choosing hardware that comes with <a
href="/philosophy/free-hardware-designs.html"> free
specifications and designs</a>, and by installing only <a
href="/philosophy/free-sw.html"> free software</a> in their
computers.</p> (追記ここまで)
</li>
</ul>
<p class="button right-align">
<a href="/proprietary/all.html">More items…</a></p>
</div>
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There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a>
the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent
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<p class="unprintable">Updated:
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$Date: 2026年04月25日 11:41:42 $
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