Balena: Difference between revisions

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{{~~InfoboxCompany~~

{{CompanyCargo

| ~~Name~~ = ~~Balena~~

|Description=

~~| Type = Private~~

|Founded=2013

| Founded = 2013

|Industry=Software

| Industry = Software ~~Development~~

|Logo=Balena.png

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

|ParentCompany=

~~| Logo = Balena.png~~

|Type=Private

}}[[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.

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

}}

[[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 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:

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. Such violations include:

*Breach of user trust

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===Balena Etcher Collecting data on users drive and filename being flashed (2018 - present)===

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 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250311071415/https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/issues/2057 |archive-date=2025-03-11 |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=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330003542/https://tails.net/news/rufus/index.en.html |archive-date=2025-03-30 |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===

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:

Recently Balena made a minor change to its privacy policy<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-01 |title=Old Privacy Statement - balena |url=https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250322034030/https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |archive-date=2025-03-22 |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=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250327215930/https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |archive-date=2025-03-27 |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====

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{InfoboxCompany
+{{CompanyCargo
-| Name = Balena
+|Description=
-| Type = Private
+|Founded=2013
-| Founded = 2013
+|Industry=Software
-| Industry = Software Development
+|Logo=Balena.png
-| Official Website = https://www.balena.io/
+|ParentCompany=
-| Logo = Balena.png
+|Type=Private
-}}[[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.
+|Website=https://www.balena.io/
+}}
+[[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 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:
+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. Such violations include:
 *Breach of user trust
@@ Line 18: / Line 20: @@
 ===Balena Etcher Collecting data on users drive and filename being flashed (2018 - present)===
-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 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250311071415/https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/issues/2057 |archive-date=2025-03-11 |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=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250330003542/https://tails.net/news/rufus/index.en.html |archive-date=2025-03-30 |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===
-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:
+Recently Balena made a minor change to its privacy policy<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-01 |title=Old Privacy Statement - balena |url=https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250322034030/https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |archive-date=2025-03-22 |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=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250327215930/https://www.balena.io/privacy-policy |archive-date=2025-03-27 |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====