Balena: Difference between revisions
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{{InfoboxCompany | {{InfoboxCompany | ||
| Name = Balena | | Name = Balena | ||
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==Consumer-impact summary== | ==Consumer-impact summary== | ||
Balena has been one of the more big companies that has open sourced most if not all products for users to tinker with. | Balena has been one of the more big companies that has open sourced most if not all products for users to tinker with. However, recently they have resorted to anti-consumer tactics for profit. Such violations include: | ||
*Breach of user trust | *Breach of user trust | ||
*Adding adware to | *Adding adware to its services | ||
*Leveraging | *Leveraging its reach to the vulnerable tech illiterate | ||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
===Balena Etcher Collecting data on users drive and filename being flashed (2018)=== | ===Balena Etcher Collecting data on users drive and filename being flashed (2018)=== | ||
In as early as 2018 Balena has been gathering specific user telemetry on their software [https://etcher.balena.io/ Balena Etcher] without consent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=sneak |date=2018-02-18 |title=etcher spies on the user without consent · Issue #2057 · balena-io/etcher |url=https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/issues/2057 |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Github Issues}}</ref> Specific information includes IP address, | In as early as 2018 Balena has been gathering specific user telemetry on their software [https://etcher.balena.io/ Balena Etcher] without consent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=sneak |date=2018-02-18 |title=etcher spies on the user without consent · Issue #2057 · balena-io/etcher |url=https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/issues/2057 |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Github Issues}}</ref> Specific information includes IP address, USB device info and the filename being flashed being sold to their 3rd party AD network partners compromising users privacy and trust for profit. Many other privacy focused open sourced groups that have relied on Etcher like [https://tails.net/ Tails] have completely removed recommendation of using Balena Etcher to install their operating system.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-19 |title=Tails - Replacing balenaEtcher with Rufus as installer for Windows |url=https://tails.net/news/rufus/index.en.html |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=Tails}}</ref> While there are many alternatives to Balena Etcher they tend to be a bit less user friendly and likely are not cross platform. Making them the de-facto choice among non tech literate users that are drawn into using it. | ||
===Balena's Privacy Policy=== | ===Balena's Privacy Policy=== | ||
Recently Balena made a minor change to | Recently Balena made a minor change to its privacy policy<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-01 |title=Old Privacy Statement - balena |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250322034030/https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |url-status=dead |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Balena}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-03-27 |title=Privacy Statement - balena |url=https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |url-status=live |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Balena}}</ref>. While the change was minor, the policy itself has been noted{{Citation needed}} to contain several clauses which users found concerning, including the following: | ||
====Fingerprinting users with help of third parties==== | ====Fingerprinting users with help of third parties==== | ||
<blockquote>"'''Automatic Data Collection'''. We may collect certain information automatically when you use the Services. This information may include your Internet protocol (IP) address, user settings, MAC address, cookie identifiers, mobile carrier, mobile advertising and other unique identifiers, details about your browser, operating system or device, location information, Internet service provider, pages that you visit before, during and after using the Services, information about the links you click, and other information about how you use the Services. Information we collect may be associated with accounts and other devices."</blockquote><blockquote>"We may obtain information about you from other sources, including through third party services and organizations to supplement information provided by you. This supplemental information allows us to verify information that you have provided to us and to enhance our ability to provide you with information about our business, products, and Services."</blockquote> | <blockquote>"'''Automatic Data Collection'''. We may collect certain information automatically when you use the Services. This information may include your Internet protocol (IP) address, user settings, MAC address, cookie identifiers, mobile carrier, mobile advertising and other unique identifiers, details about your browser, operating system or device, location information, Internet service provider, pages that you visit before, during and after using the Services, information about the links you click, and other information about how you use the Services. Information we collect may be associated with accounts and other devices."</blockquote><blockquote>"We may obtain information about you from other sources, including through third party services and organizations to supplement information provided by you. This supplemental information allows us to verify information that you have provided to us and to enhance our ability to provide you with information about our business, products, and Services."</blockquote> | ||
====Collecting information on your referrals or "friends/ | ====Collecting information on your referrals or "friends/colleagues"==== | ||
<blockquote>"Share Content with Friends or Colleagues. Our Services may offer various tools and functionalities. For example, we may allow you to provide information about your friends through our referral services. Our referral services may allow you to forward or share certain content with a friend or colleague, such as an email inviting your friend to use our Services."</blockquote> | <blockquote>"Share Content with Friends or Colleagues. Our Services may offer various tools and functionalities. For example, we may allow you to provide information about your friends through our referral services. Our referral services may allow you to forward or share certain content with a friend or colleague, such as an email inviting your friend to use our Services."</blockquote> | ||
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===Balena Etcher (2016)=== | ===Balena Etcher (2016)=== | ||
Formerly known as Etcher; Balena Etcher is a free open source tool that flashes image files. it has recently had some controversial stir around how it collects user data within | Formerly known as Etcher; Balena Etcher is a free open source tool that flashes image files. it has recently had some controversial stir around how it collects user data within its app. Many users have started using other software to flash image files such as GNOME Disk, Rufus, DD (bash command), and the Disk Utility (Mainly for mac) that work without selling the consumer out. | ||
== | ==Alternatives== | ||
* [https://rufus.ie/en/ Rufus] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]] | [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]] | ||
[[Category:Etcher]] | |||