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“Tencent QQ caught scraping all browser history on Windows”

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Re: “Tencent QQ caught scraping all browser history on Windows”

#71

Post by optimiz3 »

fbelzile wrote: post #67
Iolaum wrote: post #27

Apart from a lot of other issues mentioned here, this looks to me for a good argument of app sandboxing. It is a thing on mobile but not much on the desktop.

No, please no. Make sand-boxing an optional feature the user has control over. Sort of like containerized tabs in Firefox. Not all apps have legitimate reasons for accessing your hard drive, but I'd argue that 90% of them that do, really need to. Let the user decide.

As an example, Adobe Acrobat. It's obvious why it needs 3 services, a persistent update checker, a couple shell extensions, 2 non services set to run at startup, and always running extensions for Outlook, Excel, and Word. All totally necessary things that a restrictive app model would unjustly break.

Re: “Tencent QQ caught scraping all browser history on Windows”

#72

Post by Iolaum »

fbelzile wrote: post #67
Iolaum wrote: post #27

Apart from a lot of other issues mentioned here, this looks to me for a good argument of app sandboxing. It is a thing on mobile but not much on the desktop.

No, please no. Make sand-boxing an optional feature the user has control over. Sort of like containerized tabs in Firefox. Not all apps have legitimate reasons for accessing your hard drive, but I'd argue that 90% of them that do, really need to. Let the user decide.

If you look at the android sandbox architecture (I m guessing ios is similar but I m less familiar with it) there are intentional "holes" in the sandbox that are managed by the user permissions (hence the user does have a say). I don't think a lot of people are arguing about 100% sandbox or nothing. I know that depending on where one stands they have feedback to give about how android permissions could be better, but still the ecosystem is better with it than without it.

Re: “Tencent QQ caught scraping all browser history on Windows”

#73

Post by mhh__ »

optimiz3 wrote: post #71
fbelzile wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, please no. Make sand-boxing an optional feature the user has control over. Sort of like containerized tabs in Firefox. Not all apps have legitimate reasons for accessing your hard drive, but I'd argue that 90% of them that do, really need to. Let the user decide.

As an example, Adobe Acrobat. It's obvious why it needs 3 services, a persistent update checker, a couple shell extensions, 2 non services set to run at startup, and always running extensions for Outlook, Excel, and Word. All totally necessary things that a restrictive app model would unjustly break.

Don't forget it can randomly decide to try and render your computer inoperable because it guesses you might've had a dodgy version of Photoshop installed at some point in recorded history!

Re: “Tencent QQ caught scraping all browser history on Windows”

#75

Post by oblio »

zepto wrote: post #74

Note that Tencent owns 40% of Epic, who a lot of people think is a hero for trying to take away Apple’s power to prevent bad actors on their store.

Epic vs Apple is a matter of principle, even if the complaint is from a untrustworthy source.

Walled gardens should be dismantled. They shouldn't have been allowed to begin with, for Nintendo 64 or whatever it was.

Re: “Tencent QQ caught scraping all browser history on Windows”

#76

Post by nomay »

bserge wrote: post #51
Iolaum wrote: post #27

Apart from a lot of other issues mentioned here, this looks to me for a good argument of app sandboxing. It is a thing on mobile but not much on the desktop.

I tried Tencent's app on Android a long time ago when they were offering 1TB of free cloud storage. It started uploading all my photos (and who knows what else) as soon as I allowed file access. I immediately deleted it, who the hell does that? Even Google Drive asks for permission first. I guess that's what you trade for 1TB haha.

Note that Chinese webdrives will detect and ban "illegal" contents, even if it's just your own nudes.

Re: “Tencent QQ caught scraping all browser history on Windows”

#77

Post by wyxuan »

Debug_Overload wrote: post #63
wyxuan wrote: post #46

Looks like the author deleted the tweet out of fear. > I just noticed that someone linked my previous tweet on HN. Sorry I have to delete it in case something come after me https://twitter.com/CodeColorist/status/1350798973431283712?...

Mentioning the author deleted it out of fear and then posting his Twitter handle might not be a great combination here.

Well you can still see the author’s Twitter handle in the submission link, so I don’t think it’s a huge deal.

Re: “Tencent QQ caught scraping all browser history on Windows”

#78

Post by gruez »

blackrock wrote: post #24
dannyw wrote: post #5

If China wants to use protectionism to wage digital economy warfare, let's respond in kind. No more Wechat, TikTok, Alipay, or League of Legends or Valorant, until China gives equal treatment to foreign internet firms. Note: Valorant installs a kernel driver as part of the "anti-cheat" system; described by many as a rootkit: https://www.osnews.com/story/131665/riot-games-maker-of-leag... Valorant's parent company is…

Relax dude. Tencent QQ does not represent China. It’s just one company. Facebook does some shady shit too. Like stealing all your phone contacts list, without your permission. This is also a terrible invasion of your privacy. By your logic, since Facebook is an American company, then by extension, this shitty behavior is reflective of all of America. Besides, who uses QQ on their computers anymore?

>Facebook does some shady shit too. Like stealing all your phone contacts list, without your permission.

Without informed consent maybe, but without permission? I doubt it. Please enlighten me on how the facebook app is able to bypass the android/ios sandbox.

>By your logic, since Facebook is an American company, then by extension, this shitty behavior is reflective of all of America.

If facebook has a mandatory CCP err- DNC/RNC member on its board, I'd be inclined to agree with that.

Re: “Tencent QQ caught scraping all browser history on Windows”

#79

Post by zepto »

oblio wrote: post #75
zepto wrote: post #74

Note that Tencent owns 40% of Epic, who a lot of people think is a hero for trying to take away Apple’s power to prevent bad actors on their store.

Epic vs Apple is a matter of principle, even if the complaint is from a untrustworthy source. Walled gardens should be dismantled. They shouldn't have been allowed to begin with, for Nintendo 64 or whatever it was.

There is no principle involved. ‘Wall garden’ isn’t a real category’.

People should be able to choose to enter a walled garden if it suits them.

When a corporation like Epic uses the law to take away people’s rights is rarely about principle.

Epic vs Apple is about nothing except Epic profiting from Apple’s work, and removing a relatively safe place to buy software.

At the very least if Epic and Tencent are in fact bad actors, we should be curious about why they are motivated in the case.

It’s not out of altruism.

Re: “Tencent QQ caught scraping all browser history on Windows”

#80

Post by leppr »

oblio wrote: post #75
zepto wrote: post #74

Note that Tencent owns 40% of Epic, who a lot of people think is a hero for trying to take away Apple’s power to prevent bad actors on their store.

Epic vs Apple is a matter of principle, even if the complaint is from a untrustworthy source. Walled gardens should be dismantled. They shouldn't have been allowed to begin with, for Nintendo 64 or whatever it was.

That's right, but Epic is also in actively working against supporting Linux. Walled gardens are bad, but Epic is definitely not a company that will fight that fight. They just want the iOS userbase. There's no sense in supporting them.
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