Digital book burning device
MICROSOFT WOULD suit China very well. They're both horrific when it comes to human rights, but China seems to be uninterested in Microsoft. Based on a new report posted in ZDNet on Friday, China is making its own "Linux operating system" for mobile devices (maybe a consequence of distrusting the NSA, which is a strong Microsoft partner). One can always count on Microsoft to send some deceiving lobbyist or mole like Rabellino [1, 2, 3, 4] to Asia, as it reportedly did some months ago (we covered one example from the Philippines). It's all about openwashing Microsoft because Linux and GNU are gaining there. We already saw a lot in Cablegate about how Microsoft derails pro-FOSS policies in Asia. Here is Rabellino's latest 'mole tripping' in Asia, using a Microsoft proxy to pretend that Microsoft is about FOSS. To quote a shallow, weak report (placement) from IDG, "A Microsoft Open Technologies subsidiary is coming to Shanghai, as the company aims to expand its open-source and open standards efforts in China.
Why also remove Tor? Microsoft did not respond to our questions directly. But shortly after we reached out, Microsoft's Geoff McDonald wrote a blog post about the issue. McDonald said that leaving the Tor clients installed posed a severe threat to infected machines.
Microsoft Corporation that owns the Internet call service Skype is ready to keep in store its Russian users’ negotiations, correspondence and data exchange during six months and share it with the Russian police, if necessary, Microsoft’s press office told Itar-Tass.
Microsoft thus confirmed its commitment to work in full compliance with the Russian law, the way it does in all countries of its operations. If any new law is adopted, the company will comply with it as well, the press office said.
Comments
AdamW
2014-01-20 23:21:26
*sigh*
You *really* ought to look into things a bit more closely, y'know, Roy.
They deleted *old, insecure* copies of Tor *which had been deployed by a piece of malware* and were *overwhelming the Tor network with garbage traffic*. With the consent of the Tor maintainers, which they asked for before doing it. And this was done by a tool called the Malicious Software Removal Tool, which explicitly tells you when you install it - which you have to agree to - that it is designed to...remove malicious software from your computer.
There really is no case to answer there. Microsoft's security team did something which was right, good, and beneficial for their users and for Tor.
Dr. Roy Schestowitz
2014-01-21 09:11:45
"Why also remove Tor? Microsoft did not respond to our questions directly. But shortly after we reached out, Microsoft's Geoff McDonald wrote a blog post about the issue. McDonald said that leaving the Tor clients installed posed a severe threat to infected machines."
Oh, yes... "security". So let's just remove it all covertly, like Amazon did with "1984".
"By using an unconventional method to exploit Windows, the hackers unwittingly forced Microsoft to show a hand few knew it had: The ability to remotely remove progams en masse from people’s computers, without them even knowing it."
[...]
"“That’s a lot of power that Microsoft has there,” Applebaum continued, raising his voice and laughing at the implications. “If you’re using Windows trying to be anonymous, word to the wise: Bad idea.”"
[...]
"So, yes, Microsoft has the ability to reach into certain computers and delete programs. But, Lewman says, this is the way it’s always been—as long as the user agrees to it first."
Yes, the users get a computer with Windows preinstalled (often against their choice) and then sign a EULA.
Tor developers have suffered enough (e.g. on the press side) from Tor exploits under Windows; the same goes for Firefox. I don't see much endorsement from Tor; if anything they express shock that Microsoft has all this dangerous power.
In short, what we have here is a remote deletion mechanism. We also have Tor developers who, dealing with a Swiss cheese like Windows (where Tor is merely used as a tool after this OS with NSA back doors has been exploited), express concerns. Imagine what Windows on networks in places like Iran would mean. Or even China once there are hostilities or war...