Balena: Difference between revisions

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| Official Website = https://www.balena.io/

| Logo = Balena.png

}}[~~https~~:~~//www.balena.io/~~ Balena] (formerly known as [https://resin.io/ Resin.io]) provides a platform focused on DevOps management for servers, clients, and local cross platform device software. It also offers tools for updating, deploying and maintaining code bases ~~''(though that is mainly targeted at Linux)~~.''

}}[[wikipedia:Etcher (software)|Balena]] (formerly known as [https://resin.io/ Resin.io]) provides a platform focused on DevOps management for servers, clients, and local cross platform device software. It also offers tools for updating, deploying and maintaining code bases.

==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. However, recently they have resorted to anti-consumer tactics for profit. Such violations include:

Balena has been one of the bigger 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

*Adding adware to ~~it's~~ services

*Adding adware to its services

*Leveraging ~~it's~~ reach to the vulnerable tech illiterate

*Leveraging its reach to the vulnerable tech illiterate

==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 - present)===

~~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.

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===

Line 44:

===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 ~~it's~~ 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.

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.

==~~See also~~==

==Alternatives==

~~{{Placeholder box|Link to relevant theme articles or companies with similar incidents~~.}}

*[https://rufus.ie/en/ Rufus]

==References==

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]

[[Category:Etcher]]

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 | Official Website = https://www.balena.io/
 | Logo = Balena.png
-}}[https://www.balena.io/ Balena] (formerly known as [https://resin.io/ Resin.io]) provides a platform focused on DevOps management for servers, clients, and local cross platform device software. It also offers tools for updating, deploying and maintaining code bases ''(though that is mainly targeted at Linux).''
+}}[[wikipedia:Etcher (software)|Balena]] (formerly known as [https://resin.io/ Resin.io]) provides a platform focused on DevOps management for servers, clients, and local cross platform device software. It also offers tools for updating, deploying and maintaining code bases.
 ==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. However, recently they have resorted to anti-consumer tactics for profit. Such violations include:
+Balena has been one of the bigger 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
-*Adding adware to it's services
+*Adding adware to its services
-*Leveraging it's reach to the vulnerable tech illiterate
+*Leveraging its reach to the vulnerable tech illiterate
 ==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 - present)===
-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.
+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===
@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 ===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 it's 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.
+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.
-==See also==
+==Alternatives==
-{{Placeholder box|Link to relevant theme articles or companies with similar incidents.}}
+*[https://rufus.ie/en/ Rufus]
 ==References==
 <references />
 [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
+[[Category:Etcher]]