<!doctypehtml><html lang=en xml:lang=en xmlns=http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml><meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8"http-equiv=content-type><link href=mailto:webmasters@gnu.org rel=author><link href=/graphics/gnu-head-mini.png rel=icon type=image/png><meta content=42.355469,-71.058627 name=ICBM><link href=/mini.css media=handheld rel=stylesheet><link href=/layout.min.css media=screen rel=stylesheet><link href=/print.min.css media=print rel=stylesheet><title>
   Proprietary Software
- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation
  </title><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.html hreflang=x-default rel=alternate type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.en.html hreflang=en lang=en rel=alternate title=English type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.de.html hreflang=de lang=de rel=alternate title=Deutsch type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.es.html hreflang=es lang=es rel=alternate title=espaÃ±ol type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.fr.html hreflang=fr lang=fr rel=alternate title=franÃ§ais type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.it.html hreflang=it lang=it rel=alternate title=italiano type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.ja.html hreflang=ja lang=ja rel=alternate title=æ¥æ¬èª type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.nl.html hreflang=nl lang=nl rel=alternate title=Nederlands type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.pl.html hreflang=pl lang=pl rel=alternate title=polski type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.pt-br.html hreflang=pt-br lang=pt-br rel=alternate title=portuguÃªs type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.ru.html hreflang=ru lang=ru rel=alternate title=ÑÑÑÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.tr.html hreflang=tr lang=tr rel=alternate title=TÃ¼rkÃ§e type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.zh-cn.html hreflang=zh-cn lang=zh-cn rel=alternate title=ç®ä½ä¸­æ type=text/html><link href=/proprietary/proprietary.zh-tw.html hreflang=zh-tw lang=zh-tw rel=alternate title=ç¹é«ä¸­æ type=text/html><style media=print,screen><!--
#skiplinks .button { float: left; margin: .5em; }
#skiplinks .button a { display: inline-block; }
#about-section { font-size: 1.1em; font-style: italic; }
table#TOC {
   display: block;
   max-width: 100%; width: max-content;
   overflow: auto;
   border: .2em solid #e0dfda;
   margin: 2.5em auto;
}
#TOC th, #TOC td {
   text-align: center;
   padding: .7em;
   border-collapse: collapse;
}
#TOC th {
   vertical-align: middle;
   font-size: 1.1em;
   font-weight: bold;
   background: #fffae0;
}
#TOC td {
   vertical-align: top;
}
#TOC ul { padding-top: .5em; margin: 0; }
#TOC ul li { padding-bottom: .5em; margin: 0; list-style: none; }
#TOC ol { text-align: left; margin: 0; }
#TOC ol li { margin: .5em 5%; }
#TOC a, #TOC a:visited,
 #skiplinks a, #skiplinks a:visited {
   color: #004caa;
   text-decoration: none;
}
#TOC a { text-decoration: none; }
#TOC a:hover { text-decoration: underline; }
--></style><style media=print,screen>.reduced-width { width: 55em; }</style><meta content=width=device-width,initial-scale=1 name=viewport><body><div class=inner><div id=top><a class=skip href=#content> <b> Skip to main text </b> </a></div><div id=fsf-frame role=complementary><form action=https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/profile/create?reset=1&gid=31 id=fssbox method=post><div><input name=postURL type=hidden><input name=group[25] type=hidden value=1><input name=cancelURL type=hidden value=https://crm.fsf.org/civicrm/profile?reset=1&gid=31><input name=_qf_default type=hidden value=Edit:cancel><label for=frmEmail><a href=//www.fsf.org/fss> Free Software Supporter </a> :</label><input value="email address"id=frmEmail maxlength=80 name=email-Primary onfocus=this.value='' size=18><input value="Sign up"name=_qf_Edit_next type=submit></div></form><div class=button id=join-fsf><a href=https://www.fsf.org/associate/support_freedom?referrer=4052> JOIN THE FSF </a></div></div><div id=header role=banner><p id=gnu-banner><a href=/> <img alt=" [A GNU head] "height=48 src=/graphics/heckert_gnu.transp.small.png width=49> <strong> GNU </strong> <span class=hide> Operating System </span> </a> <br> <small id=fsf-support> Supported by the <a href=#mission-statement> Free Software Foundation </a> </small><div id=switches><a class=switch href=//www.gnu.org/cgi-bin/estseek.cgi id=search-button> <img alt=" [Search www.gnu.org] "height=25 id=search-icon src=/graphics/icons/search.png width=25> </a><a class=switch href=#language-container id=language-button> <img alt= [Languages]  height=25 id=language-icon src=/graphics/icons/translations.png width=40> </a></div></div><div style="clear: both"></div><div id=navigation role=navigation><a href=#navigation id=more-links title=More...> <span> Site navigation </span> </a><a href=#content id=less-links> <b> Skip </b> </a><ul><li id=tabAboutGNU><a href=/gnu/gnu.html> ABOUT GNU </a><li id=tabPhilosophy><a href=/philosophy/philosophy.html> PHILOSOPHY </a><li id=tabLicenses><a href=/licenses/licenses.html> LICENSES </a><li id=tabEducation><a href=/education/education.html> EDUCATION </a><li id=tabSoftware><a href=/software/software.html> SOFTWARE </a><li id=tabDoc><a href=/doc/doc.html> DOCS </a><li class=active id=tabMalware><span class=no-display> = </span> <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.html> MALWARE </a> <span class=gnun-split> </span> <span class=no-display> = </span><li id=tabHelp><a href=/help/help.html> HELP GNU </a><li id=tabArt><a href=/graphics/graphics.html> GNU ART </a><li id=tabPeople><a href=/people/people.html> GNU'S WHO? </a><li><a href=/server/sitemap.html> SITEMAP </a><li><a href=//directory.fsf.org> SOFTWARE DIRECTORY </a><li><a href=https://h-node.org/> HARDWARE </a></ul><div style="clear: both"></div></div><div id=content role=main><div class=reduced-width><h2>Proprietary Software Is Often Malware</h2><div id=skiplinks><p class=button><a href=#TOC> Table of contents </a><p class=button><a href=#latest> Latest additions </a></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>The point of this page is that the initial injustice of proprietary software often leads to further injustices: malicious functionalities.<p>In this section, we also list <a href=/proprietary/malware-mobiles.html#phone-communications> one other malicious characteristic of mobile phones, location tracking </a> which is caused by the underlying radio system rather than by the specific software in them.<p>Power corrupts; the proprietary program's developer is tempted to design the program to mistreat its users. (Software whose functioning 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>Yielding to that temptation has become ever more frequent; nowadays it is standard practice. Modern proprietary software is typically a way to be had.<hr class=thin></div><p>As of October, 2021, the pages in this directory list around 500 instances of malicious functionalities (with more than 620 references to back them up), but there are surely thousands more we don't know about.<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 &LTwww-malware-commits@gnu.org> </a> .<table id=TOC><tbody><tr><th>Injustices or techniques<th>Products or companies<tr><td><ul class=columns><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-addictions.html> Addictions </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-back-doors.html> Back doors </a>  ( <a href=#f1> 1 </a> )<li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-censorship.html> Censorship </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-coverups.html> Coverups </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-deception.html> Deception </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-drm.html> DRM </a>  ( <a href=#f2> 2 </a> )<li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-fraud.html> Fraud </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-incompatibility.html> Incompatibility </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-insecurity.html> Insecurity </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-interference.html> Interference </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-jails.html> Jails </a>  ( <a href=#f3> 3 </a> )<li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-manipulation.html> Manipulation </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-obsolescence.html> Obsolescence </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-sabotage.html> Sabotage </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-subscriptions.html> Subscriptions </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-surveillance.html> Surveillance </a><li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-tethers.html> Tethers </a>  ( <a href=#f4> 4 </a> )<li><a href=/proprietary/proprietary-tyrants.html> Tyrants </a>  ( <a href=#f5> 5 </a> )<li><a href=/proprietary/potential-malware.html> In the pipe </a></ul><td><ul><li><a href=/proprietary/malware-appliances.html> Appliances </a><li><a href=/proprietary/malware-cars.html> Cars </a><li><a href=/proprietary/malware-games.html> Games </a><li><a href=/proprietary/malware-mobiles.html> Mobiles </a><li><a href=/proprietary/malware-webpages.html> Webpages </a><li><a href=/proprietary/malware-in-online-conferencing.html> Conferencing </a></ul> <ul><li><a href=/proprietary/malware-adobe.html> Adobe </a><li><a href=/proprietary/malware-amazon.html> Amazon </a><li><a href=/proprietary/malware-apple.html> Apple </a><li><a href=/proprietary/malware-google.html> Google </a><li><a href=/proprietary/malware-microsoft.html> Microsoft </a></ul><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 id=f2><em> Digital restrictions management, or “DRM”: </em>   functionalities designed to restrict what users can do with the data in their computers.<li id=f3><em> Jail: </em>   system that imposes censorship on application programs.<li id=f4><em> Tether: </em>   functionality that requires permanent (or very frequent) connection to a server.<li id=f5><em> Tyrant: </em>   system that rejects any operating system not “authorized” by the manufacturer.</ol></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.<h3 id=latest>Latest additions</h3><ul class=blurbs><li id=M202110160><small class=date-tag> 2021-10 </small> <p>Canon's all-in-one printer, scanner, and fax machine <a href=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/legal/canon-sued-for-disabling-scanner-when-printers-run-out-of-ink/> will stop you from using any of its features if it's out of ink </a> ! Since there's no need for ink to use scan or fax, Canon is sued by its customers for this malicious behavior. The proprietary software installed on Canon machines arbitrarily restricts users from using their device as they wish.</p><li id=M202110070><small class=date-tag> 2021-10 </small> <p><a href=https://slate.com/technology/2021/10/facebook-unfollow-everything-cease-desist.html> Facebook's nonfree client forces its useds to look at the newsfeed </a> . A used of Facebook developed a browser add-on to make it easier to unfollow everyone and thus make the newsfeed empty. Many of the people used by Facebook loved this, because they regard the newsfeed as a burden that Facebook imposes on them.</p> <p>If the client software for Facebook were free, useds could probably make the newsfeed disappear by modifying the client not to display it.</p><li id=M202109220><small class=date-tag> 2021-09 </small> <p>Some Xiaomi phones <a href=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/22/lithuania-tells-citizens-to-throw-out-chinese-phones-over-censorship-concerns> have a malfeature to bleep out phrases that express political views China does not like </a> . In phones sold in Europe, Xiaomi leaves this deactivated by default, but has a back door to activate the censorship.</p> <p>This is the natural result of having nonfree software in a device that can communicate with the company that made it.</p><li id=M202106250><small class=date-tag> 2021-06 </small> <p><a href=https://www.elsalvador.com/eldiariodehoy/app-chivo-bitcoin-pone-en-riesgo-datos-personales-de-usuarios/852310/2021/> El Salvador Dictatorship's Chivo wallet is spyware </a> , it's a proprietary program that breaks users' freedom and spies on people; demands personal data such as the national ID number and does face recognition, and it is bad security for its data. It also asks for almost every malware permission in people's smartphones.</p> <p>The article criticizes it for faults in “data protection”, though <a href=/philosophy/surveillance-vs-democracy.html> “data protection” is the wrong approach to privacy anyway </a> .</p><li id=M202109210><small class=date-tag> 2021-09 </small> <p>Google's proprietary Chrome web browser <a href=https://www.techrepublic.com/article/new-chrome-feature-can-tell-sites-and-webapps-when-youre-idle/> added a surveillance API (idle detection API) </a> which lets websites ask Chrome to report when a user with a web page open is idle.</p></ul><p class="button right-align"><a href=/proprietary/all.html> More items… </a></div></div><div style=clear:both></div><div id=language-container><div class=backtotop><hr class=no-display><a href=#top> <b> ▲ </b> </a></div><div class=rounded-corners id=languages><div class=button><a class=close href=#top> <span> BACK TO TOP </span> </a></div><div class=button id=set-language><span class=gnun-split> </span><a href=/server/select-language.html?callback=/proprietary/ rel=nofollow> Set language <span class=gnun-split> </span> </a></div><p>Available for this page:<div id=translations><p><span class=original dir=ltr> [en]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.en.html hreflang=en lang=en> English </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [de]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.de.html hreflang=de lang=de> Deutsch </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [es]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.es.html hreflang=es lang=es> espaÃ±ol </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [fr]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.fr.html hreflang=fr lang=fr> franÃ§ais </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [it]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.it.html hreflang=it lang=it> italiano </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [ja]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.ja.html hreflang=ja lang=ja> æ¥æ¬èª </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [nl]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.nl.html hreflang=nl lang=nl> Nederlands </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [pl]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.pl.html hreflang=pl lang=pl> polski </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [pt-br]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.pt-br.html hreflang=pt-br lang=pt-br> portuguÃªs </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [ru]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.ru.html hreflang=ru lang=ru> ÑÑÑÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [tr]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.tr.html hreflang=tr lang=tr> TÃ¼rkÃ§e </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [zh-cn]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.zh-cn.html hreflang=zh-cn lang=zh-cn> ç®ä½ä¸­æ </a>   </span> <span dir=ltr> [zh-tw]  <a href=/proprietary/proprietary.zh-tw.html hreflang=zh-tw lang=zh-tw> ç¹é«ä¸­æ </a>   </span></div></div></div><div id=mission-statement role=complementary><div class=backtotop><hr class=no-display><a href=#header> <span> BACK TO TOP </span> ▲ </a></div><div style="clear: both"></div><blockquote><p style="direction:ltr; text-align:left"><a href=//www.fsf.org> <img alt=" [FSF logo] "height=25 id=fsfbanner src=/graphics/fsf-logo-notext-small.png width=75> </a> <strong> “The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is a nonprofit with a worldwide mission to promote computer user freedom. We defend the rights of all software users.” </strong></blockquote><div class=button id=support-the-fsf><a class=join href=//www.fsf.org/associate/support_freedom?referrer=4052> JOIN </a><a class=donate href=//donate.fsf.org/> DONATE </a><a class=shop href=//shop.fsf.org/> SHOP </a></div></div><div id=footer role=contentinfo><div class=unprintable><p>Please send general FSF & GNU inquiries to <a href=mailto:gnu@gnu.org> &LTgnu@gnu.org> </a> . There are also <a href=/contact/> other ways to contact </a> the FSF. Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent to <a href=mailto:webmasters@gnu.org> &LTwebmasters@gnu.org> </a> .<p> Please see the <a href=/server/standards/README.translations.html> Translations README </a> for information on coordinating and contributing translations of this article.</div><p>Copyright © 2013-2021 Free Software Foundation, Inc.<p>This page is licensed under a <a href=http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ rel=license> Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License </a> .<div class=unprintable id=bottom-notes><p><a href=//www.fsf.org/about/dmca-notice> Copyright Infringement Notification </a><div id=generic></div></div><p class=unprintable>Updated:  $Date: 2021/10/30 16:45:35 $ </div></div>