Holy $*@! Have you seen this?

[Scikosomatic]

Hey I just saw this, and I couldn;t believe what an invasion of privacy it was. What do ya'll think?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110504/ap_on_re_us/us_rental_computer_spyware

 

[lacktheknack]

Hmmmm...

http://www.pcpandora.com/

It's exactly the same concept, and yet I don't see people getting up in arms about it.

As usual, it's all well and good until a company does it to YOU.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I think people will stop leasing and start buying.

 

[RabbidKuriboh]

*unplugs webcam*

 

[KeyMaster45]

I think that I'm glad
A)That I've never ever invested in a webcam
B)That I already don't trust computers meant for public use.

and think

C)That people should have really thought something was fishy when someone offered to rent them a computer.

 

[Hive Mind]

If the people renting out the computers never said there wasn't any software installed that would do this, I see no problem. I doubt the people asked if there was anything like that on the computer.

Sneaky, maybe. Creepy? Yeah. Clever? Mhm.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

Good thing i bought my laptop.

 

[Jonluw]

Hmmmm...

http://www.pcpandora.com/

It's exactly the same concept, and yet I don't see people getting up in arms about it.

As usual, it's all well and good until a company does it to YOU.

"At this moment there are over 50,0009000 paedophiles on the internet trying to take advantage of our children... ...But you can't monitor what your children do online 24/7. Or can you?"

That's a seriously creepy program.

OT: Well, I think it's sort of bad that the company monitors their every action without informing them of it. They could potentially get access to any classified information. Credit card numbers, all your passwords, etc.

 

[kayisking]

Glad I always buy my pc's.

 

[lacktheknack]

Hmmmm...

http://www.pcpandora.com/

It's exactly the same concept, and yet I don't see people getting up in arms about it.

As usual, it's all well and good until a company does it to YOU.

"At this moment there are over 50,0009000 paedophiles on the internet trying to take advantage of our children... ...But you can't monitor what your children do online 24/7. Or can you?"

That's a seriously creepy program.

This is why you format the hard drive of EVERY computer where you didn't get the hard drive fresh from the box.

 

[2733]

This is why I don't own a webcam. creepy.

 

[Baradiel]

Thats sortof like a programme my school used to use in the library, where the librarians could see your screens. Was a bit annoying, to the point that someone wrote "FUCK OFF!" in massive font on Word.

He was suspended.

 

[Nerdygamer89]

Yet another good reason to run a keystroke encrypter.

 

[Jonluw]

Hmmmm...

http://www.pcpandora.com/

It's exactly the same concept, and yet I don't see people getting up in arms about it.

As usual, it's all well and good until a company does it to YOU.

"At this moment there are over 50,0009000 paedophiles on the internet trying to take advantage of our children... ...But you can't monitor what your children do online 24/7. Or can you?"

That's a seriously creepy program.

This is why you format the hard drive of EVERY computer where you didn't get the hard drive fresh from the box.

I've gotta wonder though: Does the it appear in the list of programs?
It wouldn't be a very good spy if you could just go and delete it...

 

[willsham45]

I heard a simular thing with free laptops for students.
I guess it is reasonable for a company having hooks to their rental items. But keyboard tracking, and sending webcam info is a little excessive but locking areas of the computer so no new software to a point can be installed and locking the computer when the rentee does not pay sounds reasonable or atleast say to the person renting the item we are tracking you.

 

[lacktheknack]

Hmmmm...

http://www.pcpandora.com/

It's exactly the same concept, and yet I don't see people getting up in arms about it.

As usual, it's all well and good until a company does it to YOU.

"At this moment there are over 50,0009000 paedophiles on the internet trying to take advantage of our children... ...But you can't monitor what your children do online 24/7. Or can you?"

That's a seriously creepy program.

This is why you format the hard drive of EVERY computer where you didn't get the hard drive fresh from the box.

I've gotta wonder though: Does the it appear in the list of programs?
It wouldn't be a very good spy if you could just go and delete it...

Any good piece of spyware hides itself deep in the C:/Windows folder and the registry. I don't see why this wouldn't. You could probably uninstall it from inside a password-protected interface that's discreet and difficult to notice.

 

[lacktheknack]

Thats sortof like a programme my school used to use in the library, where the librarians could see your screens. Was a bit annoying, to the point that someone wrote "FUCK OFF!" in massive font on Word.

He was suspended.

He deserved it. The library computers are not your toys. It annoys me no end when people waste time on them.

 

[Baradiel]

Thats sortof like a programme my school used to use in the library, where the librarians could see your screens. Was a bit annoying, to the point that someone wrote "FUCK OFF!" in massive font on Word.

He was suspended.

He deserved it. The library computers are not your toys. It annoys me no end when people waste time on them.

I know he deserved it. He was one of those kids who was always trying to get in trouble.

And at my school, at break and lunch the computers were for your own use. You could use them for whatever you want, really. They've blocked loads of sites now though, because people were playing games when they were supposed to be doing work in lessons.

 

[tharglet]

One of the reasons I would never rent a machine.

If it's not in the rental agreement - I say it's not good. If they make it clear there's monitoring software on there, then people can make their own minds up if they want to risk it or not.

The school I went to, they never really hid the fact there was monitoring software on the machines - if you didn't want stuff to be publicly seen, you do it at home XD.