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Is Silverlight spyware?

I just visited a website and for the first time in a long while, I had to download software to allow a video to play. "Silverlight" from Microsoft! Now I usually never read the license agreement, but knowing Microsoft, I figure I'd better. I was startled to find how MS plans to "Collect" and "Use Information" about my computer!!! Is anyone else aware of this?! I'll summarize my concerns, and post the full text below:

Summary:

1) Sends your IP address, web services information, OS, browser version, and hardware ID to websites you visit.
2) This information is also sent to Microsoft, which may then allow third parties to use this information on Microsoft's behalf so long as they promise not to misuse the information.
3) Microsoft may also use this information to "store and process in the United States or any other country/region in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or agents maintain facilities" and also "may disclose personal information about you if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief".

Full Text:

Collection and Use of Information About Your Computer

Internet enabled features in software will send information about your computer ("standard computer information") to the websites you visit and web services you use. This information is generally not personally identifiable. Standard computer information typically includes information such as your IP address, operating system version, browser version, your hardware ID which indicates the device manufacturer, device name, and version, application version and your regional and language settings. In this case, the application version would be the version of Microsoft Silverlight installed on your device. Microsoft Silverlight contains an update notification feature that sends standard computer information to Microsoft.

Information that is sent to Microsoft by this software will be used to provide you with Microsoft Silverlight features and services. This information may be used to improve Microsoft Silverlight and our other products and services, as well as for analysis purposes. Except as described in this statement, information you provide will not be transferred to third parties without your consent. We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as packaging, sending, and delivering purchases and other mailings, answering customer questions about software or services, processing event registration, or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies the information they need to deliver the service, and they are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose.

Information that is collected by or sent to Microsoft may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country/region in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or agents maintain facilities, and by using Microsoft Silverlight, you consent to any such transfer of information outside of your country. Microsoft abides by the safe harbor framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of data from the European Union. Microsoft may disclose personal information about you if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on Microsoft; (b) protect and defend the rights of Microsoft (including enforcement of our agreements); or (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, users of Microsoft products or services, or members of the public.

Powerbook G4 1.33 Mhz, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 7200 RPM HD, 1Gig RAM

Posted on Jul 3, 2008 3:18 PM

Reply
13 replies

Jul 3, 2008 3:23 PM in response to VitoArc

I don't remember seeing all that when I downloaded and installed Silverlight, but you could always delete it and start again:

Microsoft has created their own version of what a replacement for Flash should be. You can read more about it here:

http://silverlight.net/

So, if you go to any sites that have been designed for this new Silverlight stuff, you can download the plug-in from here (but make certain that you are downloading SilverLight v.1.0 for OS X (10.4.8 upwards):

http://silverlight.net/GetStarted/

rather than downloading it from an unknown website.

Jul 4, 2008 4:49 AM in response to Klaus1

All of the information that I quoted was linked from the installer to the MS website. When I read their license agreement, I decided not to install. But you've made my point "I don't remember seeing all that"; I want to warn people about this app, and also want opinions as to what they think about how serious this is.

So, does Silverlight fall under the category of "spyware"? It looks that way to me. Thanks for the reply!

V

Jul 5, 2008 7:42 AM in response to VitoArc

Personally, I would not consider Silverlight spyware. It is Microsoft answer to Adobe/Macromedia Flash and there will be a point in the not-to-distant future that you will need it, as you currently do with Flash, to access the full content of some web sites. I hate to say this about any MS product, but it looks pretty schweet.

As far as being spyware and MS's legal disclaimer. If you consider Windows Media player, Adobe Acrobat, iTunes or Quick Time spyware, then you can consider Silverlight Spyware. I do believe all of the above perform the same sort of information gathering. It's mostly a matter of intent. None of these companies have malicious intent.

Jul 14, 2008 8:31 AM in response to GarryCT

"It is Microsoft answer to Adobe/Macromedia Flash and there will be a point in the not-to-distant future that you will need it, as you currently do with Flash, to access the full content of some web sites."


EXACTLY.

"I do believe all of the above perform the same sort of information gathering. It's mostly a matter of intent. None of these companies have malicious intent."


Information gathering, where I MUST give consent or otherwise be locked out of internet content to me is **extortion**! Maybe tough language, but that is how it is. There is no option to "opt out" of this info gathering, and in the future, as you say, "you will need it"!

I'm not so sure that you are correct about MS's "malicious intent", simply because I don't presume to know what MS is thinking. But thanks for the great answer, and I think this topic needed to be covered.

Thanks for all the replies everybody. Let's hope this makes end users a little more aware of what they are installing/using, rather than just clicking without reading!

Aug 14, 2008 1:24 PM in response to VitoArc

Silverlight sends the following: "IP address, operating system version, browser version, your hardware ID which indicates the device manufacturer, device name, and version, application version and your regional and language settings."

The IP address is required in order for the service to send a reply (content) back to you. All web browsers send the IP address, OS and browser version to the web server. The OS and browser version is sometimes used by web sites to tailor the output to your specific OS and browser capabilities. This information is generally written to a server log file at all web sites.

I assume the hardware ID is the globally unique NIC address - but I am guessing. If so, then that information ought not to be sent - but then they could mean something else. "App", regional and language setting is also used to automatically deliver content in the correct language, for sites that support multiple languages. (And on Windows, if I remember, you can go into the Registry and change the NIC address to something else if you want to confuse them 🙂 )

Except for the hardware ID, whatever that is, all of this information is normally sent by most browsers to most web sites already today.

The oddity is that in addition to the web site receiving this information, Microsoft receives a copy which is a bit grabby.

Other than that oddity, Silverlight seems to behave like most all browsers and web servers in terms of the information it processes.

To the extent that MS gets a copy, it might be considered a very weak spyware component.

Oct 29, 2008 5:00 PM in response to VitoArc

I realize this is an old thread, but if anybody is stumbling on it like I am, here is my take.

I am distrustful of microsoft products like most of us mac user, and I was checking the forums to see what people's take on this codec is for os x.

seems from what i read the codec works pretty good with no major major bugs that I read about so far. These spyware functions do distress me a little, but I think I'll give it a try

My big recommendation for everyone is get the program Little Snitch, which allows you to control all internet traffic out of your computer. Using this you can set rules to specifically ban a program from, say connecting to microsoft.

I have actually noticed while using Little Snitch with flash in Safari or FireFox that flash player requests to connect to these funny services when playing a video. I disallow it to connect to them and the video itself still plays, so I don't know if flash does the same thing silverlight is doing with this collection of IP information.

Oct 31, 2008 7:02 AM in response to dba2271

Well, spyware being software which communicates to "home" by submitting some sort of small information about you or your browsing habits.

This Little Snitch (though we should really switch threads to talk about it) is not spyware.

And even if it had some hidden spy function on it, you can even tell the program itself not to communicate with the internet. You could potentially block all programs from connecting to the net, but say the few you need like safari and mail.

Say for example you have a rule to allow any connection on port 80 in firefox. If some codec or script on a webpage asks to connect to you on some other port, then a box will pop up and ask you what you want to do.

You can tell it to allow this new connection (or deny it) One time, Until Quit, or Forever

Trust me this software is worth the few bucks. Who needs a firewall when you can control every incoming connection.

Is Silverlight spyware?

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