Stallman calls Ubuntu "spyware"

How difficult it is to be RMS (from comments)

Free Software Foundation President Richard Stallman called Ubuntu “spyware” because the “Dash” search sends search query data to Canonical servers. He urged developers not to use this operating system.

The search results show not only data about local files and applications, but also Amazon search data. If a person buys something, then the creators of Ubuntu receive a certain percentage of the sale. Despite the fact that Canonical data does not go further, this turned out to be quite sufficient for Stallman.




He wrote on his blog:

Ubuntu, the widespread and influential GNU / Linux distribution, uses spyware code. When a user searches for a specific line in their local files, Ubuntu sends this line to Canonical servers ... The problem is not in advertising, the problem is in espionage. The fact that Canonical collects personal information is also bad, as if it was collected by Amazon.

Moreover, he insists on the complete rejection of the distribution:

If you have ever recommended or distributed GNU / Linux, please remove Ubuntu from your lists .... In your installation festivals, in Software Freedom Day, in FLISOL events, do not install or recommend Ubuntu. Instead, encourage people to avoid Ubuntu for espionage.

And even the fact that the option can be disabled has little effect on its conclusions:

Even if the option were turned off by default, it would still be dangerous. And if they use all the money they get from Amazon to develop free software, then this is unlikely to cover the loss that free software incurs if they stop offering users effective ways to avoid such abuses.

Mark Shuttleworth called Stallman's opinion simply - FUD (an acronym for Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt - fear, uncertainty, doubt).

Jono Bacon, a community manager at Canonical, explained the company's policies in this way:

The goal of Dash at Ubuntu has always been to provide a central place to find and find things that are interesting and relevant to you - it was created to be the center of your computer experience. This is a big goal and we have gone only part of the way in its implementation.

Today it is not perfect - we need to improve search accuracy, present data more efficiently, expand the coverage and capabilities of data in Dash search. With each new release of Ubuntu, we get excellent feedback from the community and users. We strive to improve all areas so that with each new release we offer more complete functions freely available to everyone.

The data we collect is automatically anonymized and is never available to the end services. And we get only the necessary minimum that is needed to improve the search in Ubuntu.