Western Digital's Discovery - Requires you to share our data to install the program

[SKT Faker]

I went to start my new external hard drive from Wester Digital (Elements) and I noticed two installers (windows and mac) for a software called "Discovery". I usually find these things interesting so I went ahead and installed it, and in the installer asked if I wanted to share my data, since I know from experience that that often infers more data than what it seems like and they often sell the data or it gets leaked I went ahead an disagreed. A new menu appeared with the same info but different boxes, sizes and colors asking me again, if I wanted to share data, I said no. It skipped to the installation/download but couldn't connect to the servers and just before that it showed a few frames of the successful downloads/installation page making me very suspicious. I went ahead and made a few checks where I agreed to sharing data and didn't with both of the menus for this, and every time I agreed to sharing the data the installer would successfully connect to the servers, and each time I didn't agree to sharing the data it couldn't connect to the servers. 

Please share this so that WD has to fix this( I have already notified them).

 

Summary

Wester Digital's software Discovery, requires you to share your data for the installation to be successful. This means forcing customers to share their data if they want to install. They also have a double menu for accepting the data-sharing-agreement where the agree and not agree changes colors and position to trick you into thinking they mean the same.

 

My thoughts

 I think it is important that these large tech companies aren't allowed to pull of things like this. That we have to make sure that we as people and customers are safe from companies stealing and abusing our data.

[Spotty]

Interesting. Never even heard of WDs discovery software.

 

Quote

Description

WD Discovery allows you to download and keep up to date other WD Apps such as WD Security app, WD Backup and WD Drive Utilities, and learn about software from WD partners.

Seems entirely unnecessary. Bloatware. 

[Blue4130]

1 hour ago, Caroline said:

It is, why would you need an "app" to use a hard drive? most if not all of them are PnP.

 

But you know how it is, colorful graphics, simple error messages saying stuff like we are experiencing issues, I mean... who's experiencing issues? ah well

You don't need apps to use the base drive. You do need apps to use encryption, backup or diagnostics. (which is what these apps are for) 

 

HOWEVER, there are plenty of other alternatives that don't send your information to WD. 

[SKT Faker]

19 hours ago, Blue4130 said:

You don't need apps to use the base drive. You do need apps to use encryption, backup or diagnostics. (which is what these apps are for) 

 

HOWEVER, there are plenty of other alternatives that don't send your information to WD. 

It worked fine without the software, but I find it annoying that we have to deal with this kind of thing as customers when we have payed for the product. Luckily I don't need this software, but someone might need it, and a lot of people will just install it without knowing the consequences of it.