On Mon, Aug 23, 2021 at 07:16:55PM +0200, Dr. Nikolaus Klepp wrote:
> Anno domini 2021 Mon, 23 Aug 10:39:28 -0400
> Hendrik Boom scripsit:
...
...
> >
> > Audacity does not collect data unless you opt in to data collection.
> >
> > You do not need to do this.
> > If the data are necessary for law enforcement, Audacity will hand it
> > over. This is presumably required by law, whether is is mentioned in the
> > privacy agreement or not.
>
> When you think about this, it's most alarming. There is no need for this functunality in the first place. "Sombody" has to work hard (infrastructure, time, resources) to implement this surveillance functionality. If it costs, "somebody" will want to ge a revenue. There is no such thing as a law to force the user to give data out of his/her hands unwillingly.

I don't see a serious need for wuch functionality. May I point out
though, that even Debian has a feature that reports what packages you
have installed. But, of course, only if you install that feature.

>
> This is a road everybody should pay close attention and if a project takes that turn - drop it.
>
> > There's no indication they will change the data they collect because law
> > enforcement requests it.
>
> This is not reassuring, on the contrary.

And it's not really clear what information they are collecting.

>
> > If law enforcement needs additional user data beyond what audacity has,
> > they presumably have to collect it from the user.
>
> So why sould the user accept audacity to to the police job?

I prsume you meant

> So why sould the user accept audacity to do the police job?

If the olice want the data from a user, they will likely have to get a
search warrant and serve it on the user..

>

> > As for the use of the software by children, audacity should simply refuse 
> > to collect any data from children, and
> >    * ask the user if they are children
> >    * and if so, simply not colect those data, whether telemetry is turned 
> > on or off.

>
> In my country this kind of "data gathering" is not allowed aka illegal, not only for children. Audacity will have a bad press when this goes public - and every distribution with this kind of spyware will get it's dose of "told you it's not better than Windows".

A sane country you have.

-- hendrik