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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”

#91
raion on V2EX[1][2] reverse-engineered Tencent QQ's scraping code and acquired the list of URLs and keywords:

1. S.TAOBAO.COM/SEARCH?

2. LIST.TMALL.COM/SEARCH_PRODUCT.HTM?

3. (30, 0xDDA1029, 0x9E67F3BB, 0xB18ACC45, 0x597CF438): b'', # not yet decoded

4. SEARCH.JD.COM/SEARCH?

Keyword Group 1:

5. 古着 (kanji meaning old cloths)

6. VINTAGE

Keyword Group 2:

7. 融券 (margin trading-short)

8. 融资 (financing)

Keyword Group 3:

9. 炒股 (stock trading)

10. 股票 (stock)

[1]: https://archive.vn/c1ABO post id 229

[2]: https://sm.ms/image/hxiVvDNsf2lFJ7u

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

#92
post #43
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

QQ comes with a bundled QQProtect.exe that can't be killed, QQ simply refuses to run without it.

The OP on V2EX mentioned[1] that they downloaded QQ from the Microsoft Store, specifically because it doesn't come with QQProtect. Didn't help, apparently. [1] https://www.v2ex.com/t/745030?p=1#r_10067077

There's a fatal issue with Microsoft Store apps: it allows both sandboxed and unsandboxed apps, and the developer can just upload a new version for their sandboxed app, that is not sandboxed. Updates are automatic, so the app, that looked like restricted to access only say calls will after update be able to access anything it wants.

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

#93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

It’s just one company. There's no private Chinese companies, only CCP subsidiaries. Comparisons with e.g. Facebook are moot. At this point, comments like this are plain disingenuous, or purposefully misleading.

What about getting a National Security Letter from the US government?

Apparently, your company and your industry, must be important enough that the government will send you a Top Secret document, forcing you to comply, and also forcing you to maintain the secrecy of its existence, and to even deceive your customers of ever enacting its mandates.

This sounds to me like the exact same thing as your argument here. That there are no private American companies, only American subsidiaries.

And if you’re just a small private company that runs a noodle restaurant, then I highly doubt that the CCP really gives a damn about your company. What are they going to monitor? What magic ingredients you put into your soup?

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

#94
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 b…

Would iPhone users be worse off if they gained the ability to use multiple different app stores?

[deleted]

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

#96
post #90
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Isn't US law based on precedent? If Epics wins the lawsuit against Apple, doesn't that set a precedent that all walled garden vendors need to allow an alternative way to install applications?

We’ll be worse off with multiple vendors. We chose this platform for all its advantages. Including top shelf support and security.

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

#97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s just one company. There's no private Chinese companies, only CCP subsidiaries. Comparisons with e.g. Facebook are moot. At this point, comments like this are plain disingenuous, or purposefully misleading.

What about getting a National Security Letter from the US government? Apparently, your company and your industry, must be important enough that the government will send you a Top Secret document, forcing you to comply, and also forcing you to maintain the secrecy of its existence, and to even deceive your customers of ever enacting its mandates. This sounds to me like the exact same thing as your argument here. That…

What about getting a National Security Letter from the US government?

A case by case basis, limited in reach, for only a small subset of companies, and overseen by the Justice Department.

In no way comparable to the Chinese law, which mandates every bit of every company to be surrendered to the state, on demand, without questions.

And the recent Ma/Ali affair should tell you the vast difference in state reach.

That there are no private American companies, only American subsidiaries.

Again, absurd comparison because the above.

And if you’re just a small private company that runs a noodle restaurant, then I highly doubt that the CCP really gives a damn about your company. What are they going to monitor? What magic ingredients you put into your soup?

It doesn't matter. See above.

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

#98
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't US law based on precedent? If Epics wins the lawsuit against Apple, doesn't that set a precedent that all walled garden vendors need to allow an alternative way to install applications?

We’ll be worse off with multiple vendors. We chose this platform for all its advantages. Including top shelf support and security.

So you're asserting that the only reason developers would keep developing for the Apple App Store is if they have no other choice? Security guarantees are a sales-pitch, hard to get numbers on that but I bet I'm not the only one that avoids installing random proprietary apps out of fear for privacy violations. The recent move to showing "privacy promises" on the App store pages is an indication of that. If alternative stores can't give sufficient security guarantees, then users will prefer the official one.

Android is doing well with its multiple app-stores, security-conscious users can limit themselves to F-droid, and the rest can keep using the PlayStore for proprietary apps. Granted Android still lacks an independent option for paid apps, but I think it will come.

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

#99
post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We’ll be worse off with multiple vendors. We chose this platform for all its advantages. Including top shelf support and security.

So you're asserting that the only reason developers would keep developing for the Apple App Store is if they have no other choice? Security guarantees are a sales-pitch, hard to get numbers on that but I bet I'm not the only one that avoids installing random proprietary apps out of fear for privacy violations. The recent move to showing "privacy promises" on the App store pages is an indication of that. If alternativ…

“If alternative stores can't give sufficient security guarantees, then users will prefer the official one.”

Nope. Users will use the stores where the apps they want are.

Players starting new stores will just pay for exclusives of popular apps, so that users are forced to install other stores, which will of course claim to support privacy and security in marketing terms that have no substance.

Android is why it is clearly wrong to intervene in Apple’s secure store.

If people want a choice of stores, Android is available and just as good as iPhone.

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

#100
post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 b…

Would iPhone users be worse off if they gained the ability to use multiple different app stores?

Yes. They would lose the option to use one trusted store, and be forced to use set of different stores of varying different trust levels.
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