John Lilly, the CEO of Mozilla Foundation which makes the Firefox internet browser criticized Apple's practice of offering iTunes and QuickTime users Safari 3.1 on Windows through the Apple Software Update pop-up, in a blog on Friday.
Apple began pushing the Safari 3.1 browser to Windows users, whether it was previously installed or not, via the Apple Software Update, a practice which Lilly said is just “wrong.”
Lilly claimed that the distribution practice is unethical because it allegedly tricks users into downloading not only their regular iTunes and Quicktime updates but also a brand new web browser which might not have been wanted by the user.
He wrote, “It undermines the trust relationship great companies have with their customers, and that’s bad — not just for Apple, but for the security of the whole Web.”
Lilly’s blog entry showed Apple’s pop up dialog box asking users to check off the software they want to install — two boxes, one showing iTunes and QuickTime together, and the other displaying Safari, and at the bottom an option of installing the two items or quitting. Both the boxes, including Safari are already checked by default when the dialog box pops up.
Lilly wrote, “Apple has made it incredibly easy — the default, even — for users to install ride along software that they didn’t ask for, and maybe didn’t want. This is wrong, and borders on malware distribution practices.”
The Apple Software Update application is installed on Windows PCs when users install iTunes and QuickTime. With so many people owning an iPod and installing iTunes, there are quite a few people Apple could potentially reach using the updater.
Lilly said that he doesn’t have any problems with Apple using its software update utility to keep its users up-to-date with iTunes and QuickTime, or any other Apple software they may have installed. He said that automatic updates are a good way to ensure people have the most recent and secure versions of software. It's a practice that Mozilla uses with the Firefox browser.
The problem for Lilly is that even if users don’t have Safari installed, Apple pushes the update to users and checks the “install” box by default.
Lilly said that he is concerned about the trust relationship that companies build with their customers and the security of users on the Web.
Lilly said the practice Apple took with the Safari update “ultimately undermines the safety of users on the web by eroding that relationship. It’s a bad practice and should stop.”
Good Marketing
His comments are out of jealousy; The marketing of Apple brilliantly took an update dialog and made one of their product visible on it. Users may not want it. But having it available is a good marketing scheme.
So, is the issue about the
So, is the issue about the option to install the Safari browser checked by default? ... And if Apple chooses to have it unchecked by default, is that acceptable?
To compare this with Malware is perhaps too harsh.
Mozilla is going by double-standards
This makes no sense. I see google toolbar being installed whenever i install real player or google earth, unless i remember during my hurry to click "next" to uncheck the option to install the toolbar. GOOGLE TOOLBAR is just as much of a malware as is the SAFARI BROWSER. Both are equally disguised in their attempts to get on to users' computers. How come I do not see the mozilla chaps making noise about THAT !!!! Oh wait, i remember, google does not compete with them, so they dont have to say anything. But if SFARAI/APPLE does the same thing, Mozilla gets all preachy about public security. what Garbage !!!!!!!
And get that bloody math question/answer thing on your website fixed !!!
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