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<title>Proprietary Coverups
- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title>
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<h2>Proprietary Coverups</h2>

<p><a href="/proprietary/proprietary.html">Other examples of proprietary malware</a></p>

<div class="comment"> class="infobox">
<hr class="full-width" />
<p>Nonfree (proprietary) software is very often malware (designed to
mistreat the user). Nonfree software is controlled by its developers,
which puts them in a position of power over the users; <a
href="/philosophy/free-software-even-more-important.html">that is the
basic injustice</a>. The developers and manufacturers often exercise
that power to the detriment of the users they ought to serve.</p>

<p>This typically takes the form of malicious functionalities.</p>
<hr class="full-width" />
</div>

<div class="article">
<p>This page lists instances where proprietary software had a bug,
and the developers converted it into a malicious functionality by
trying to cover up the existence of the bug.</p>

<div class="important">
<p>If you know of an example that ought to be in this page but isn't
here, please write
to <a href="mailto:webmasters@gnu.org"><webmasters@gnu.org></a>
to inform us. Please include the URL of a trustworthy reference or two
to present the specifics.</p>
</div> serve as specific substantiation.</p>
</div>

<div class="column-limit" id="proprietary-coverups"></div>

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  <li id="M201612120">
    <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2016-12</small>'
    --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
    <p>Price Waterhouse Coopers tried
    to suppress knowledge of a security flaw by <a
    href="http://www.zdnet.com/article/pwc-sends-security-researchers-cease-and-desist-letter-instead-of-fixing-security-flaw/">
    href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/pwc-sends-security-researchers-cease-and-desist-letter-instead-of-fixing-security-flaw/">
    making legal threats against the security company that found
    it</a>.</p>
  </li>
</ul>


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<p class="unprintable">Updated:
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$Date: 2023/05/31 14:40:39 $
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