Spyware: Difference between revisions
Added 2 more citations, also changed a sub-heading and added 2 sub-headings under it(Found in "Why it is a problem") |
Added more links to "See also" and added some information in "Spyware & Data Collection from a Consumer Rights Perspective"(may need more citations in the future!) |
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Spyware, as the name suggest, spies on the device, which contains the user's data. Spyware is inherently negative for users' privacy. As companies like [[Microsoft]], [[Meta]] and [[Google]] are collecting more information on consumers(either by legal or illegal means), they make users less secure & more susceptible to data breaches/leaks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Jan 2026 |title=Data Breaches 2025: Biggest Cybersecurity Incidents So Far |url=https://www.pkware.com/blog/recent-data-breaches |url-status=live |access-date=31 Jan 2026 |website=pkware.com}}</ref> | Spyware, as the name suggest, spies on the device, which contains the user's data. Spyware is inherently negative for users' privacy. As companies like [[Microsoft]], [[Meta]] and [[Google]] are collecting more information on consumers(either by legal or illegal means), they make users less secure & more susceptible to data breaches/leaks.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Jan 2026 |title=Data Breaches 2025: Biggest Cybersecurity Incidents So Far |url=https://www.pkware.com/blog/recent-data-breaches |url-status=live |access-date=31 Jan 2026 |website=pkware.com}}</ref> | ||
=== Spyware from a Consumer Rights Perspective: === | ===Spyware & Data Collection from a Consumer Rights Perspective:=== | ||
---- | ---- | ||
==== | ====Lack of Transparency From Companies:==== | ||
A lack of transparency on a consumers ability to opt-out of data collection if even possible is quite common among popular services | |||
For example, a usage of [[Deceptive language frequently used against consumers]] or simply hiding things in the terms of service may be enough trick a consumer into thinking there is nothing wrong with the service or may be enough to prevent/discourage a consumer from learning what a company does with their data & what data they collect. | |||
==Types(Illegal/Malware)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=What Is Spyware? Definition, Types, And Protection |url=https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/spyware | ==== Lack of a consumers control: ==== | ||
Many corporations use [[Forced arbitration]] or [[Consent-or-pay]] in order to gain access to user data, with the main incentive/goal of doing this being a desire to make profit(which is why many companies are okay with users opting out of data collection as long as the users still pay for the service as found in [[Consent-or-pay]]). | |||
====The need for consumer control and proper disclosure:==== | |||
Reasons/arguments include: | |||
* Improved user satisfaction | |||
* The ability to opt-out allows users to prevent their sensitive data from being leaked in the event of a data breach | |||
* The option for consumers to properly see the data being collected allows them to more easily infer what data tends to be collected without intentionally confusing language | |||
==Types(Illegal/Malware)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=What Is Spyware? Definition, Types, And Protection |url=https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/spyware |access-date=19 Jan 2026 |website=Fortinet.com |type=Uses text to communicate information(with some additional imagery)}}</ref>== | |||
#Adware: This type of spyware monitors user activity to then sell that data to malicious advertisers. | #Adware: This type of spyware monitors user activity to then sell that data to malicious advertisers. | ||
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*[[Anti-privacy legislation]](Extremely undeveloped article, but still on the topic of privacy) | *[[Anti-privacy legislation]](Extremely undeveloped article, but still on the topic of privacy) | ||
*[[Backdoor]] | |||
*[[Data brokers]] | *[[Data brokers]] | ||
*[[Device fingerprint]] | *[[Device fingerprint]] | ||
*[[De-anonymization]] | |||
*[[Forced identification]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||