Welcome back to the Linux and open-source news show. This week, we delve into several hot topics, including Firefox's controversial new feature, Microsoft and CrowdStrike's amusing antics, the insecurity of secure boot on numerous devices, and AI's unethical content scraping from YouTube and pirated movies. Let's dive in.
Firefox's Controversial Ad-Related Feature
Mozilla's release of Firefox 128 introduced a new feature called "privacy-preserving attribution," which has sparked significant controversy. This feature is designed to track ad performance by collecting and aggregating user data. While the technology itself is relatively innocuous, the issue arises from Mozilla enabling it by default without adequately informing users.
Mozilla’s failure to communicate effectively about this new feature has led to user backlash. The company's decision not to use pop-ups for notifications, citing them as user-hostile distractions, ironically resulted in users being uninformed about an opt-out ad-related feature.
The CrowdStrike and Microsoft Fiasco
The recent CrowdStrike debacle continues to unfold in a rather comical manner. Microsoft blamed the European Union for its inability to secure Windows against the CrowdStrike problem, citing a 2009 EU decision that mandates open APIs for third-party developers. However, this excuse falls flat, as proper API management does not inherently lead to security vulnerabilities.
Adding to the absurdity, CrowdStrike attempted to rebuild consumer trust by sending affected companies $10 Uber Eats gift cards. This move backfired when Uber Eats flagged the activity as suspicious and revoked many of the cards, further frustrating users.
Insecurity of Secure Boot on Major Devices
Secure boot has been found to be completely insecure on over 200 models from major manufacturers like Dell, Acer, Gigabyte, Intel, and Supermicro. The issue stems from a compromised cryptographic key from 2022, which was left accessible in a public GitHub repository. Some devices were even shipped with public testing keys, exacerbating the problem.
While this flaw requires privileged access to exploit, users should check for firmware updates from their manufacturers to mitigate potential risks.
AI's Unethical Content Scraping
AI companies often operate in a fast and loose manner, as evidenced by Runway AI allegedly scraping thousands of YouTube videos and pirated movies to train their models. This claim, supported by spreadsheets listing the scraped content, points to the company's disregard for copyright and ethical standards.
Testing of Runway AI's latest model revealed that it generates results closely resembling popular YouTubers, lending credibility to these allegations. This highlights ongoing issues with AI companies exploiting publicly available content without proper authorization.
Updates and Delays: Cosmic Desktop and Linux Mint 22
The highly anticipated Cosmic desktop alpha release has been delayed to August 8th. While the early version shows promise, it is not expected to outperform established desktops like GNOME or KDE initially.
In other news, Linux Mint 22 is now available, featuring Cinnamon 6.2, updates to various applications, and a shift to Matrix for its IRC client. While Mint remains a strong option for users, the project's increasing workload raises concerns about its sustainability.
Tuxedo Computers
Tuxedo Computers offers a range of Linux-compatible laptops, desktops, and small form factor PCs. These systems are thoroughly tested to ensure excellent Linux support, with upstream patches and dedicated repositories. Whether for professional use or gaming, Tuxedo Computers provides reliable hardware optimized for Linux.
Conclusion
Thank you for tuning in to this week's Linux and open-source news show. If you enjoyed the content, don't forget to like, subscribe, and support the channel through the links in the description. See you in the next episode!
Comments (1)