MEGAUPLOAD Toolbar DOES NOT Contain Spyware!

[ElderKain]

Many people online Claim MEGAUPLOAD Toolbar to contain Spyware which it
DOES NOT!

The MEGAUPLOAD Toolbar has an "Alexa Site Ranking" feature which Rates the
activity of websites by people visiting them with the MEGAUPLOAD Toolbar.
Some Spyware scanners say that MEGAUPLOAD Toolbar contains spyware, but
in actuality, it's actually just Noticing that the "Alexa Site Ranking" feature
that sends Site statatiscs which does no harm to any system.

So please, just becasue a Spyware Scanner thinks something that is Spyware,
doesn't neccisarily mean it's spyware.

MEGAUPLOAD Toolbar DOES NOT Contain Spyware, all it's noticing is info
Exiting and entering becasue of the Site Statistics feature from the
"Alexa Site Ranking" feature.

So People, Don't Spout out False info about it containing spyware, when
in reality, it doesn't.

[toadvine]

Well... technically that IS spyware, whether it's malicious or not.

Most of the stuff that antispyware programs find are benign cookies, like the ones many sites use to find out the interests of the people browsing them so they can more effectively target their ads. The don't really care why you individually are doing, nor do they record it.

That said, spyware is by definition any program that records data about you and transmits it to a third party. My last.fm audioscrobbler plugin for itunes is spyware since it records what I listen to and transmits it to their website. The fact that I want it there is irrelevant.

But yeah, screaming 'evil spyware' because your program said it was is just silly - be like Elder and find out exactly WHAT it's doing - it might be benign or even beneficial!

[ElderKain]

It really isn't spyware, becasue when you install the toolbar, if u read the user agreement also, it states that it will send info for site ranking and such, and you have to agree to it.
It's not really Evil spyware, becasue if a person actually reads the stuff, they actually agreed to it. lol.

But yea, it can be considered spyware if you think of it like "toadvine" stated.
But not Evil spyware that can ruin your computer. All it is is Sites visited for site ranking.

Unless your going to Illegal stuff then there is nothing to worry about, lol.

[Blu]

It's a data miner, Be it clean or not it would be considered spyware.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING Megaupload Toolbar LICENSE AGREEMENT CAREFULLY.

YOU ARE GRANTED THE FOLLOWING LIMITED RIGHTS:

A. You may use Megaupload Toolbar for personal
purposes. For commercial use, you need an
express written permission of Megaupload Limited.

B. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit,
print or transfer information related to
Megaupload Toolbar.

C. The statistics information collected by the
MegaUpload Toolbar are strictly anonymous
and are respecting the privacy of the user.


IT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED TO:

A. Modify the software in part or in its entirety.

B. Decompile or reverse engineer the Megaupload Toolbar.

SHOULD YOU FAIL TO COMPLY WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE, YOUR USER RIGHTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY TERMINATED. THIS TERMINATION WILL BE IN ADDITION TO ANY CRIMINAL, CIVIL OR OTHER REMEDIES WHICH MEGAUPLOAD LIMITED MAY SEEK.


LIMITED WARRANTY:

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR INDIRECT DAMAGES: Megaupload Limited cannot be held responsible under any circumstances for damages of any character (including, but not limited to, direct or indirect damages resulting from the loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use or inability to use this product.
The Megaupload Toolbar is provided under license on an "AS IS" basis, without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including without limitation, implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall Megaupload Limited, or any third party involved in the creation, production, or delivery of the Megaupload Toolbar be liable under any circumstances for any direct or indirect damages including, but not limited to, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, incurred by the user even if Megaupload Limited has been advised of such damages.

The entire risk as to the results and performance of the Megaupload Toolbar is borne by the user. Megaupload Limited may, at any time, revoke this license by notifying the user of the software. The user may cancel his license to use the product by destroying or erasing all copies of the toolbar.
This limited warranty will be governed and interpreted according to Hong Kong law.


PROPERTY:

The "Megaupload Toolbar" trademark is a registered trademark and is protected by the Hong Kong Laws on Trademarks and Intellectual Property. Use of the product's name is strictly forbidden unless it's used with the express written permission of Megaupload Limited.
This toolbar, including its code, documentation, appearance, structure, and organization is an exclusive product of Megaupload Limited, who retains the property rights to the toolbar, its copies, modifications, or merged parts.

ALEXA PRIVACY NOTICE AND AGREEMENT:

THIS TOOLBAR INTEGRATES CERTAIN SERVICES FROM ALEXA INTERNET,
INC. ("ALEXA"). THE TOOLBAR MAY EXCHANGE DATA WITH ALEXA IN ORDER
TO PROVIDE: (A) INFORMATION TO YOU ABOUT THE WEB PAGES YOU VIEW
(ranking information, for example) AND (B) BASIC INFORMATION TO ALEXA ON
YOUR USE OF THE TOOLBAR, INCLUDING THE IP ADDRESS OF YOUR
COMPUTER, THE URL OF THE WEB PAGES YOU VISIT AND, BECAUSE THE TOOLBAR COMMUNICATES VIA HTTP, DATA TYPICAL OF NORMAL HTTP COMMUNICATIONS, SUCH AS USER AGENT AND OPERATING SYSTEM, WILL BE COMMUNICATED.

You may disable the portion of the Toolbar that allows exchange of data with ALEXA, by accessing the “Options” Page (in the Toolbar menus) and removing the “Alexa” button from the interface of the Toolbar. If you do so, however, you will no longer have access to the information (like ranking) available from ALEXA about the Web pages you view, whether or not the Toolbar is installed.

ALEXA does not and will not attempt to analyze Web usage data it obtain through the Toolbar to determine the identity of any particular Toolbar user. However, ALEXA may aggregate and analyze the information it collects through your usage of the Toolbar to improve its service and to prepare reports about aggregate Web usage.

ALEXA knows that you care how information about you is used and shared. ALEXA appreciates your trust and undertakes to deal with your personal information carefully and sensibly. Information transmitted to ALEXA through your usage of the Toolbar is subject to ALEXA's Privacy Policy. Please read ALEXA's Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into and made a part of this Agreement, to understand how ALEXA may use the information collected through your usage of the Toolbar.

To read ALEXA's Privacy Policy, please refer to ALEXA's Web site, at the following address:
<http://pages.alexa.com/help/privacy.html>.


Please indicate your understanding and agreement to this Agreement and the ALEXA Privacy Notice and Agreement, including the ALEXA Privacy Policy, by clicking the button below. If you do not accept the terms and conditions of this agreement, you may click the “CANCEL” button below but you will not be allowed to use the Toolbar.

[ZERO_ice]

Megaupload creates a connection from you’re computer to some alexia site which is run unnoticed in the background and transmits data.

The definition for spyware taken from wikipeda:
Spyware is [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] that is installed [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] on a [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] to intercept or take partial control over the user's interaction with the computer, without the user's [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

If you don’t believe me run cmd and type netstat –v (will display sequence of components involved in creating the connection or listening port for all executables.) while having megaupload toolbar activated.

Here’s a pic of the connection:


Though if you have megaupload toolbar disabled but still installed on you’re PC alexia doesn’t come up on the netstat, I activate it only when I need it.

[ElderKain]

Then it's not spyware, becasue the Consent is in the User Agreement.

THIS TOOLBAR INTEGRATES CERTAIN SERVICES FROM ALEXA INTERNET,
INC. ("ALEXA"). THE TOOLBAR MAY EXCHANGE DATA WITH ALEXA IN ORDER
TO PROVIDE: (A) INFORMATION TO YOU ABOUT THE WEB PAGES YOU VIEW
(ranking information, for example) AND (B) BASIC INFORMATION TO ALEXA ON
YOUR USE OF THE TOOLBAR, INCLUDING THE IP ADDRESS OF YOUR
COMPUTER, THE URL OF THE WEB PAGES YOU VISIT AND, BECAUSE THE TOOLBAR COMMUNICATES VIA HTTP, DATA TYPICAL OF NORMAL HTTP COMMUNICATIONS, SUCH AS USER AGENT AND OPERATING SYSTEM, WILL BE COMMUNICATED.

Now that's "informed consent" becasue it's in the agreement, so It wouldn't be considered spyware.
Only way to consider it spyware, is not to read the User Agreement, which should be read anyways.
Callint is spyware is your own fault for not reading the User Agreement.

:5569fb93: :5569fb93: :5569fb93: :5569fb93: :5569fb93:

[Blu]

Originally Posted by ElderKain

Then it's not spyware, becasue the Consent is in the User Agreement.

THIS TOOLBAR INTEGRATES CERTAIN SERVICES FROM ALEXA INTERNET,
INC. ("ALEXA"). THE TOOLBAR MAY EXCHANGE DATA WITH ALEXA IN ORDER
TO PROVIDE: (A) INFORMATION TO YOU ABOUT THE WEB PAGES YOU VIEW
(ranking information, for example) AND (B) BASIC INFORMATION TO ALEXA ON
YOUR USE OF THE TOOLBAR, INCLUDING THE IP ADDRESS OF YOUR
COMPUTER, THE URL OF THE WEB PAGES YOU VISIT AND, BECAUSE THE TOOLBAR COMMUNICATES VIA HTTP, DATA TYPICAL OF NORMAL HTTP COMMUNICATIONS, SUCH AS USER AGENT AND OPERATING SYSTEM, WILL BE COMMUNICATED.

Now that's "informed consent" becasue it's in the agreement, so It wouldn't be considered spyware.
Only way to consider it spyware, is not to read the User Agreement, which should be read anyways.
Callint is spyware is your own fault for not reading the User Agreement.

:5569fb93: :5569fb93: :5569fb93: :5569fb93: :5569fb93:

Come on, We all know 99% of the time we just hit "next" and don't bother reading.

[ElderKain]

Originally Posted by Blu

Come on, We all know 99% of the time we just hit "next" and don't bother reading.

Most people don't read it, but call it Evil Spyware becasue of not reading the "User Agreement" is the person's own darn fault. Saying it has Bad Spyware to other people will prevent other people from using it, which really hurts my "Megaupload Happyhour" topic I made. Especially when they mention it in the topic, all of a sudden it drives the HappyHour Users away, becasue of some Rumor of Evil Spyware...

The reason I made this topic, is to try to stop people from saying stuff like that.

:5569fb93: :5569fb93: :5569fb93: :5569fb93: :5569fb93:

[ZERO_ice]

It's not EVIL spyware it's spyware. Even a tracking cookie is spyware, as long as it tracks what you’re doing and which site you’re browsing it’s spyware. If I ask you to install a program which will allow me to track everything you do on you’re computer that wouldn’t be spyware?

[ElderKain]

Originally Posted by ZERO_ice

It's not EVIL spyware it's spyware. Even a tracking cookie is spyware, as long as it tracks what you’re doing and which site you’re browsing it’s spyware. If I ask you to install a program which will allow me to track everything you do on you’re computer that wouldn’t be spyware?

If I allowed it, then no it wouldn't be, becasue it's not Spying, bcasue I know it's there.
U said so urself that spyware is "without the user's informed consent"
If I know about it, and agree with it, then it isn't spyware.