Who controls what is on your Mac?

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Carrier
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Who controls what is on your Mac?

Post by Carrier »

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30587243

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/ ... 8W20141223

What else is Apple pushing out on to Mac owners/users without their knowledge or permission?

If it can do this with a so-called security update then it can do the same on behalf of the NSA/GCHQ, the Mafia, bent cops, a rogue state’s “glorious leader” or some other nefarious party. By building such a vulnerability into OSX Apple is exposing innocent Mac owners to having false evidence planted on their Macs or otherwise being set up or attacked by third parties. eg if child porn or Barclay’s Bank Libor/forex rigging evidence is found on a Mac how can any court be sure that it was not planted there by some crooked cop, regulator or prosecutor, either directly or using Apple or a pirate Apple employee as an accomplice/accessory?


The ethical actions that Apple should have taken are:

1 Do everything possible to ensure that OSX on all Macs is secure from outside interference of all kinds. ie only the owner or somebody deliberately authorised by the owner to act on the owner’s behalf, can install updates or make changes to their Mac’s contents, OSX or apps. This should be basic for any OS software developer with common sense, intelligence, competence and integrity!

2 The security update profiled above should have been released in the normal way with owners being advised that an update is available, what it is about and having a choice of whether or not and when to install it.

Such shifty behaviour damages Apple’s reputation and destroys the credibility of Macs for all users requiring any sort of privacy or security - ie just about everyone.
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7ECA
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Re: Who controls what is on your Mac?

Post by 7ECA »

So, a company notes a significant problem, and pushes out an automatic update, so as to protect all users of said product, and now you want to vilify said company?

They are covering their own asses, and as an end result covering yours as the user, by protecting your device.

Apple is a pretty fantastic company, when it comes to customer support, something which I have first hand knowledge of.
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iflyforpie
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Re: Who controls what is on your Mac?

Post by iflyforpie »

I've been on Macs for ten years. Just got me a shiny new MacBook Pro Retina as a scheduled update to my five year old iMac.

I've had very few problems with them, never needed any security software, and most problems have been fixed by them free of charge no questions asked.

Apple isn't without flaws, but neither is any other company. If you think that what you describe can't happen on another type of computer or device... ... or that any other company is more on the ball than Apple is for sending out security patches.... I've got some ocean front property in Arizona you might be interested in...
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Geez did I say that....? Or just think it....?
highflyer88
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Re: Who controls what is on your Mac?

Post by highflyer88 »

Never had a mac and would never own one. I had to use one for work and it was not my cup of tea. I think that they are pretty worthless.
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