Canonical wants to get into Data Collection with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

[AlTech]

Canonical is quietly entering the Data Collection Business with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.

 

They're going to do this by collecting hardware information and diagnostics. This will be opt-out instead of opt-in. Canonical have stated that all data collected will be transmitted over HTTP Secure (HTTPS) and they won't log IP Addresses.

 

Here's the complete list of information they will collect by default:

Quote

• Flavour and Version of Ubuntu
• Network connectivity or not
• CPU family
• RAM
• Disk(s) size
• Screen(s) resolution
• GPU vendor and model
• OEM Manufacturer
• Location (based on the location selection made during install)
• No IP information
• Time taken for Installation
• Auto-login enabled or not
• Disk layout selected
• Third party software selected or not
• Download updates during install or not
• LivePatch enabled or not

 

For now the data mostly is regarding Device Hardware and Miscelanous software diagnostic info but it is concerning to see it be opt-out rather than opt-in.

 

Quote

Before you read anything further, it’s important to note that users will have the option to opt-out of this data collection. The company plans to add a checkbox to the installer, which would be checked by default. The option could be like: “Send diagnostics information to help improve Ubuntu.”

 

As per your convenience, you can opt-out during the installation. An option to do the same will also be made available in the Privacy panel of GNOME Settings.

With this data collection, the team wishes to improve the daily experiences of the Ubuntu users. It’s worth noting that the collected data will be sent over encrypted connections and no IP addresses will be tracked.

 

So yeah. I'd have no issue with this if it was opt-in . There's no need to ever make anything opt-out (it should always be opt-in) unless you have something to hide.

 

Well that's a damn shame .

 

Source:

https://fossbytes.com/ubuntu-data-collection/

[Guest]

Oh boy... this is how it starts...

Don't like this move.

[mikat]

it's a dang shitty move, that's for sure.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Name Taken said:

Users on http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2018/02/ubuntu-data-collection-opt-out seems to be fine with or even like this.

Wow, that is some blind faith in humanity right there. I guess they see Canonical/Ubuntu as the good guy. To me it's like letting someone sleep on your couch and they say it's only a few days. Then they end up never leaving and moving into 2 rooms. It's a lot harder to get an invited guest out of your house. Maybe I'm just being too paranoid.

[Guest]

Its nowhere on the level of Windows 10 so its not too bad, no ip addys logged and not to mention you can actually opt out with not too much trouble.

IMO ubuntu isn't too good anymore and there are plenty of alternatives, so just switch distro if you are concerned.

[silberdrachi]

So long as they tell you, and youre able to FULLY turn ALL logging off i see no problem with this.

 

Thats 90% of my issue with windows 10 and all the other OS out there. Sure there is an "off" button, but it sure sends a lot of data despite being off.

[TheGlenlivet]

I'd been meaning to give Debian or openSUSE a bash (pun intended).  Looks Like I might have a  reason too now...

[LAwLz]

Before anyone flips their shits, here are some things to remember:

1. Users will be asked during the installation process if they want to send data or not. It is not some "it's on by default, but you can disable it by digging around in the settings" bullshit. From what I know/understand it will be the same as on MacOS.
    
2. This will most likely be open source. No need to take the developers' words on what they collect or don't collect. You can just inspect it. In fact, they will allow the users to inspect the data.
    
3. You can disable it either during the installation, or from the control panel. It will actually be turned off too.
    
4. The amount of data they collect is very limited and clearly defined in an easy to understand manner.
    
5. All data will be made public.
    
6. It seems like the data will be sent once, and only once. At the first bootup when you have an active Internet connection.

 

Personally, I am completely OK with this. This is telemetry done right.

[Sauron]

42 minutes ago, AluminiumTech said:

For now the data mostly is regarding Device Hardware and Miscelanous software diagnostic info but it is concerning to see it be opt-out rather than opt-in.

Yeah, I wish they'd just ask you in the installer if you want them to do it or not, sort of like installing third party codecs etc. I wouldn't mind this sort of collection, but the user must be informed.

[Drak3]

7 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Yeah, I wish they'd just ask you in the installer if you want them to do it or not, sort of like installing third party codecs etc. I wouldn't mind this sort of collection, but the user must be informed.

They're going to, it's in the last quote.

[Trixanity]

7 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Yeah, I wish they'd just ask you in the installer if you want them to do it or not, sort of like installing third party codecs etc. I wouldn't mind this sort of collection, but the user must be informed.

Well, that seems to be the case. They'll give you a check box during installation. The problem being highlighted is that the box is checked by default and you have to uncheck it before clicking next if you want to opt out. It's similar to how free software bundles other software that you have to uncheck if you want to avoid unwanted installs.

 

Honestly it's a small problem. I do believe Apple has theirs unchecked by default though. So that's the one difference here. If only Microsoft would follow suit.

[GoodBytes]

57 minutes ago, Legendarypoet said:

Oh boy... this is how it starts...

Don't like this move.

It is waaay to late. Telemetry data collecting is currently seen as an important part of making software development. But it isn't new. The popular 90's music playing software: Winamp, used to, by default collect telemetry data on the user. I don't recall if it was opt-in or out by default, but it was there and then. And pretty much all major websites track user data, with many pre-made solutions available. And with JavaScript and lack of web browser security, they can pick a user and live see your mouse moving on their website. Pretty scary.

 

[SilicateWielder]

 

3 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

It is waaay to late. Telemetry data collecting is currently seen as an important part of making software development. But it isn't new. The popular 90's music playing software: Winamp, used to, by default collect telemetry data on the user. I don't recall if it was opt-in or out by default, but it was there and then. And pretty much all major websites track user data, with many pre-made solutions available. And with JavaScript and lack of web browser security, they can pick a user and live see your mouse moving on their website. Pretty scary.

 

I actually still use Winamp, didn't know it sends Telemetry data back to whoever owns the software now.

 

Supposedly a new version is in the works, though I doubt they're ever going to release it at this stage in the game.

[Epic Wink]

"Network connection or not"? Bit hard to send data when you don't have internet

 

If they're just going to use apport for this, this won't affect me, as apport always breaks my apt on my system so I have to forcefully remove it

[Guest]

Just now, GoodBytes said:

It is waaay to late. Telemetry data collecting is currently seen as an important part of making software development. But it isn't new. The popular 90's music playing software: Winamp, used to, by default collect telemetry data on the user. I don't recall if it was opt-in or out by default, but it was there and then. And pretty much all major websites track user data, with many pre-made solutions available. And with JavaScript and lack of web browser security, they can pick a user and live see your mouse moving on their website. Pretty scary.

 

Yeah, I don't mean telemetry data in general. I meant they start collecting data with good intentions. They're on the path to an IPO. The possibility that profit driven reasons for data collection will seep in are just way too large. At the end of the day though, I don't have to use it so I guess I can't be mad.

[LAwLz]

33 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Yeah, I wish they'd just ask you in the installer if you want them to do it or not, sort of like installing third party codecs etc.

That's exactly what they plan on doing according to the email from the developer:

Quote

We would like to add a checkbox to the installer, exact wording TBD, but
along the lines of “Send diagnostics information to help improve Ubuntu”.
This would be checked by default.

 

 

4 minutes ago, Epic Wink said:

"Network connection or not"? Bit hard to send data when you don't have internet

 

If they're just going to use apport for this, this won't affect me, as apport always breaks my apt on my system so I have to forcefully remove it

It doesn't say "network connection or not"?

It says:

Quote

Information from the installation would be sent over HTTPS to a service
run by Canonical’s IS team.  This would be saved to disk and sent on first
boot once there is a network connection.  The file containing this data
would be available for the user to inspect.

 

 

 

1 minute ago, Legendarypoet said:

At the end of the day though, I don't have to use it so I guess I can't be mad.

That's a very dangerous mentality to have, and one that has lead us to the point we are at today.

[SpaceGhostC2C]

1 hour ago, Legendarypoet said:

Wow, that is some blind faith in humanity right there. I guess they see Canonical/Ubuntu as the good guy.

Given how Canonical already had a data-collection scandal a few years ago, which they had to undo and apologize for, I think I would call it something else...

 

52 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

Before anyone flips their shits, here are some things to remember:

1. Users will be asked during the installation process if they want to send data or not. It is not some "it's on by default, but you can disable it by digging around in the settings" bullshit.

That's very important. It means that it's just a fairly lame, shareware-like level of bad. Still won't help to make Ubuntu my distro of choice, but it won't have a lot of wight either.

 

52 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

 This is telemetry done right.

Telemetry done right is no telemetry  

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

That's a very dangerous mentality to have, and one that has lead us to the point we are at today.

What's dangerous?

[cj09beira]

21 minutes ago, Legendarypoet said:

What's dangerous?

its when something can lead to people getting hurt  

[mr moose]

43 minutes ago, Legendarypoet said:

What's dangerous?

Apparently choosing not to be mad about something you aren't connected to or have any control over is.

[themctipers]

pretty sure people who were serious about Linux usually didn't use ubuntu / derritives

[Bananasplit_00]

1 hour ago, LAwLz said:

Before anyone flips their shits, here are some things to remember:

1. Users will be asked during the installation process if they want to send data or not. It is not some "it's on by default, but you can disable it by digging around in the settings" bullshit. From what I know/understand it will be the same as on MacOS.
    
2. This will most likely be open source. No need to take the developers' words on what they collect or don't collect. You can just inspect it. In fact, they will allow the users to inspect the data.
    
3. You can disable it either during the installation, or from the control panel. It will actually be turned off too.
    
4. The amount of data they collect is very limited and clearly defined in an easy to understand manner.
    
5. All data will be made public.
    
6. It seems like the data will be sent once, and only once. At the first bootup when you have an active Internet connection.

 

Personally, I am completely OK with this. This is telemetry done right.

yah this is why im pretty OK with this, you can entirely and easely opt out and its not a bunch of persoinal usage statistics and more of a "what hardware should we optimise more for" or whatever kind of telemetry

[AlTech]

37 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

That's a very dangerous mentality to have, and one that has lead us to the point we are at today.

Yup.

 

If we let Canonical do this then every time somebody else does something similar, people are gonna brush it off until nobody bats an eye.

[BuckGup]

The steam hardware survey takes more information and people don’t bat an eye at that. 

[yian88]

Thanks Mircrosoft and google, and its promoters, and silent promoters who dont care.

Now ubuntu will go down the drain, if the Amazon in search results fiasco didnt already make a huge impact on users who decided to switch to other distro this will definately be a couple more nails in the ubuntu coffin.

I use linux mint and hopefully they remove any data collection that vanilla ubuntu puts in.