Spyware charge levelled at Lexmark

[gerardwil]

Printer company accused of installing software that tracks usage:

http://www.silicon.com/research/specialreports/protectingid/0,3800002220,39125876,00.htm

[ronjor]

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. There is no excuse for companies to prey on people just because they can.

[nadirah]

I wonder what tricks lexmark has up their sleeves...

[ronjor]

-{ Quote: "Lexmark has firmly denied installing spyware on its customers' computers, after allegations appeared on a Usenet newsgroup that its printers install software that sends personal information back to the company." }-
TheRegister (http://www.theregister.com/2004/11/15/lexmark_spyware/)

[Rita]

-{ Quote: "TheRegister (http://www.theregister.com/2004/11/15/lexmark_spyware/)" }-
Ron
remember when I told you a long while back either giant or ewido one found several files from Lexmark as spyware.I removed them and they've never been found again.Whats your opinion of this?just curious
Rita

[ronjor]

-{ Quote: "Whats your opinion of this?" }-

Rita,

I don't know what to think yet. It will just have to play out.
Evidently Ewido and Giant saw something they didn't like.

[Ga1tar]

Lexmark are not the only company that employs such techniques, as HP also track usage in this manner.

[ronjor]

The Lexmark lesson--make more noise

-{ Quote: "Commentary--Lexmark's printers are smarter than they look. Perhaps a little too smart--a recent story showed that the printer drivers for a recent model were surreptitiously relaying information over the Internet back to base. Users were mystified, and more than a little outraged. Spyware, they said. Lexmark was stung. 'It's not spyware, it's remote reporting about printer parameters,' the company said after a marked pause. We told you all about it when you installed the drivers. It's even got a name--Lexmark Connect." }-
ZDNet (http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-5458545.html?tag=zdfd.newsfeed)

[Checkout]

Lexmark was a management buyout from IBM. Superbly overengineered, as all IBM kit, but typical IBM philosophy. I thought they'd passed the torch to Microsoft....

[bigbuck]

Helped an old bloke I know install a new print/copy/scan machine this morn.
Lexmark! AV asked during install if Lexpps.exe (or something like that) could connect to the internet.... ??? ??? ???