Internet Security and Programming

An industry-academia group designed to raise public awareness about software that violates fair information and privacy practices has labeled recent versions of RealPlayer video streaming software as “badware,” charging that the software surreptitiously installs pop-up ad serving software as well as the Rhapsody media player engine. Stopbadware.org issued an alert about two software titles from RealNetworks - RealPlayer 10.5 and RealPlayer 11, saying each violated the group’s badware guidelines. RP10.5 fails to alert the user that its “Message Center” feature — which is pitched as a way to keep the user up-to-date on security patches — will pop up ads from the system tray if the user doesn’t register the application. RealPlayer 11 earned the badware mark because it installs (as an ActiveX control) the Rhapsody Player Engine without notifying the user, the report notes. In addition, when the user uninstalls RealPlayer, the Rhapsody player is left behind. Stopbadware [...]

Read more…