Balena: Difference between revisions
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Start a list of alternatives so readers have an easy course of action if they conclude that they want to avoid Balena Etcher after reading the article |
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*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=== | ||
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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]] | |||