We have covered many times the misdeeds that software companies or other copyrighted digital content companies commit against users. The latest addition to this list is a Russian company. It has been revealed that Kaspersky compulsively installs another antivirus.
It all started when the US government added Kaspersky to the Entity List, a collection of “foreign individuals, companies, and organizations considered a national security concern.”
Why does Kaspersky compulsively install another antivirus?
On June 20, President Biden's administration added another measure, banning sales and updates of Kaspersky antivirus in the United States as of September 29 of this year. It did so citing national security reasons.
Kaspersky responded by laying off all its staff and promising its customers that Pango Group, through its UltraAV product, would take over protection of their computers. What they didn't say was that this included the forced and unannounced replacement of Kaspersky with UltraAV.
In addition to the lack of notification, those who tried to use third-party uninstallation tools (such as Windows' own) found that the program was reinstalled.
The closest thing to an explanation can be found on the website of UltraAV:
If you are a paying Kaspersky customer, when the transition is complete, UltraAV protection will be active on your device and you will be able to take advantage of all the additional premium features.
The replacement also occurred between Kaspersky and Pango VPN.
Thanks, but no thanks
At first, one might applaud the customer service that tried to keep the equipment protected without causing any inconvenience. However, this reveals the control that software companies have over our computers.
This is not the first compulsory installation we have to deal with.. NortonLifeLock (formerly known as Symantec) has included a controversial application in its Norton 360 suite. It is a set of tools for Windows, Mac and mobile devices focused on protection from malicious software. It decided to add software for mining the Ethereum cryptocurrency to this list.
The reason?
According to them, mining software is a source of malware. To prevent users from downloading infected software, they decided to create their own. In exchange for this kindness, they keep 15% of the coins generated plus transaction fees.
The advantages of using free software
These examples, while somewhat extreme, show the risks of using proprietary software. And they are not limited to the software industry. A few years ago, Amazon removed a book from the Kindle because the publisher that published it did not have the rights and changed the English editions of Roald Dahl to ones more in keeping with this era of political correctness. All this without informing users.
Other cases are programs created by companies that are acquired by competing companies and then discontinued. These programs often have proprietary file formats that are discontinued and the user loses access to their documents.
I'm not going to get into the absurd lists of x as a replacement for y that some open source lovers like so much.Firstly, I believe that the programs I recommend should be good enough on their own that I don't have to mention them in relation to others. Secondly, there is a sector that free software has neglected: that of professional users who work for themselves.
You may not be able to stop using Windows, or if you're a professional photographer, Gimp may not be for you, but there's bound to be some free software title that you'll find useful. Maybe creating an online photo album with Piwigo or advertising your services with a flyer layout with Scribus.
Any small step that brings you closer to using proprietary software is a step further away from the technological vassalage to which some companies want to subject us.