You will take this update and you will LIKE IT - CCleaner ignores user settings, forcibly updates, and resets privacy settings

[rcmaehl]

Source:
BleepingComputer

 

TL;DR:

CCleaner is forcing updates to all user computers even those set to ignore updates in the name of "GDPR compliance", only to reset settings to send themselves data.

 

Media:

 

Quotes/Excerpts:

Quote

Piriform is forcing CCleaner to update to the latest 5.46 version even when users had configured the program to not perform automatic updates. Once the users were upgraded to the latest version, their privacy settings were reverted to default, which is to allow anonymous usage data to be sent to Avast/Piriform. This was first reported on September 6th. An employee replied and stated that "Since the release of v5.46 we have updated some users to this version to meet legal requirements and give users more autonomy and transparency over their privacy settings." This is obviously a concern that CCleaner is ignoring user's preferences and forcing the update of a new version. An Avast spokesperson responded: "This has the added benefit of moving the updated users to a a GDPR-compliant version (although we released a compliant version of CCleaner in time for GDPR’s introduction, we weren’t required to update everyone onto this version)."

 

My Thoughts:
Forcing updates has always been a touchy topic. On one hand it patches security issues and help keep users secure. On the other hand like this one, it can be misused to lock down or remove existing features, reset settings, and other unwanted changes. I personally thing that if CCleaner is going to force updates, they should not be resetting the Privacy settings back to sending data to Piriform. CCleaner has gone a bit downhill since Avast bought it out

[imreloadin]

I thought the gist of GDPR was to protect consumer data? How does forcing "anonymous" data collection back on aid in protecting consumer data?

[rcmaehl]

3 minutes ago, imreloadin said:

I thought the gist of GDPR was to protect consumer data? How is forcing "anonymous" data collection back on aid in protecting consumer data?

It doesn't, I'm thinking about switching to BleachBit or another alternative. Doesn't look as pretty but CCleaner has continued to go downhill since Avast bought it.

[imreloadin]

2 minutes ago, rcmaehl said:

It doesn't, I'm thinking about switching to BleachBit or another alternative. Doesn't look as pretty but CCleaner has continued to go downhill since Avast bought it.

Wasn't BleachBit the name of the software used in the Clinton email scandal if I remember correctly?

[rcmaehl]

2 minutes ago, imreloadin said:

Wasn't BleachBit the name of the software used in the Clinton email scandal if I remember correctly?

Guess it is >_> The more you know.

[Speed Weed]

Avast privacy harvest agenda. 

[mynameisjuan]

Why are people still using CCleaner. How many times do they have to bend you over before you listen. 

[alicskysareblue]

1 minute ago, mynameisjuan said:

Why are people still using CCleaner. How many times do they have to bend you over before you listen. 

well after reading this I uninstalled  it Im tired of the constant pop ups anyways

[NumLock21]

51 minutes ago, mynameisjuan said:

Why are people still using CCleaner. How many times do they have to bend you over before you listen. 

Well if everyone is like elite tech savvy, maybe we won't need 3rd party software like CCleaner, but for now, it's still useful.

[mynameisjuan]

1 minute ago, NumLock21 said:

Well if everyone is like elite tech savvy, maybe we won't need 3rd party software like CCleaner, but for now, it's still useful.

Disk cleanup is more than enough

[NumLock21]

1 minute ago, mynameisjuan said:

Disk cleanup is more than enough

Disk cleanup doesn't clean up everything.

[mynameisjuan]

5 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

Disk cleanup doesn't clean up everything.

Cleans up all that is necessary. There is no need to touch registry. 

[NumLock21]

Just now, mynameisjuan said:

Cleans up all that is necessary. 

It does not clear up temporary internet files, cookies, etc from 3rd party browsers like FireFox, Chrome, and also not from Edge, I think. The reason why CCleaner exist is because it's easy for non techies to do maintenance on their computers. It's a 1 stop location where it just takes a few clicks and they're PC is now clean form junk files. This is easier for them, instead of diving deep into the OS just to do the same thing.

[mynameisjuan]

10 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

It does not clear up temporary internet files, cookies, etc from 3rd party browsers like FireFox, Chrome, and also not from Edge, I think. The reason why CCleaner exist is because it's easy for non techies to do maintenance on their computers. It's a 1 stop location where it just takes a few clicks and they're PC is now clean form junk files. This is easier for them, instead of diving deep into the OS just to do the same thing.

Disk cleanup removes a ton of junk, but if you want to clean your browser its quicker to go to history and clear cookies and cache as most have 1 browser anyway.

 

If "non-techies" are smart enough to google how to clean junk files and find and download CCleaner, I think they can live without CCleaner

[porina]

I wonder, how far back have they put in the possibility to force update?

 

On a similar note, is there an option on what it reports back? I don't see anything like that on 5.39 installed on one of the systems near me. It hasn't been updated in a while. Suppose the question is, has it been silently sending data back all this time?

 

1 hour ago, rcmaehl said:

Doesn't look as pretty but CCleaner has continued to go downhill since Avast bought it.

Ooh, that explains a "problem" I had once when I clicked through without looking, and was wondering why AV was installing on a new system...

[NumLock21]

10 minutes ago, mynameisjuan said:

Disk cleanup removes a ton of junk, but if you want to clean your browser its quicker to go to history and clear cookies and cache as most have 1 browser anyway.

 

If "non-techies" are smart enough to google how to clean junk files, I think they can live without CCleaner

I just installed CCleaner on my system, disable "send usage data" and then Avast antivirus popped up saying their is a bad extension in FireFox. Click resolved and it remove the telemetry extension from it. So now, send usage data is disabled from CCleaner.

 

So CCleaner is going downhill because of Avast, and yet Avast itself warns that CCleaner has installed a bad extension into your browser.

[PlayStation 2]

Sounds like Windows 10.

Deja vu.

[TetraSky]

6 hours ago, mynameisjuan said:

Why are people still using CCleaner. How many times do they have to bend you over before you listen. 

For the same reason I'm assuming people still use uTorrent. They don't know any better alternative.

I've blocked network access to ccleaner(portable version) long ago through my firewall and honestly haven't even used it in months. It's not something that's necessary these days except for a quick and easy way to get rid of Windows 10 built-in apps.

A firewall these days is the one piece of software security you should have and learn to use to protect your privacy, never let it automatically decide if a software should have access to the internet though, it usually default to Yes.

[Speed Weed]

Alternative to CCleaner

 

Windows built in disk cleaner

 

Cybertron Privacy Eraser

 

Wise Disk Cleaner

 

 

[Eaglerino]

16 minutes ago, DaPhuc said:

Alternative to CCleaner

 

Windows built in disk cleaner

 

Cybertron Privacy Eraser

 

Wise Disk Cleaner

 

 

Ya know I'm sad how few people realize Windows has a built in disk cleaner

[Tenelia]

2 hours ago, Eaglerino said:

Ya know I'm sad how few people realize Windows has a built in disk cleaner

Does CCleaner actually clean more than whatever the Win10 built-in cleaner does?

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

14 hours ago, Eaglerino said:

Ya know I'm sad how few people realize Windows has a built in disk cleaner

Wake me up when that one has functionality to choose which cookies to keep and which to delete.  That was my main reason for using CCleaner, it was just a convenient way to keep certain cookies while clearing all the others. 

 

I just did a quick check and mine also updated from 5.13 to 5.46.  No pop-up, no warning. 

Guess I'll have to somehow figure out how to handle selective cookie deletion in the future.  Time to look up how to write .bat scripts ...

[Shadestones]

14 hours ago, Tenelia said:

Does CCleaner actually clean more than whatever the Win10 built-in cleaner does?

It cleans less than CCleaner, but a better question is "Should I care?"
Because cleaning "junk files" nowadays only really means that you're freeing up disk space. Windows 10 now has Storage Sense which is Disk Cleanup in disguise + automation. It takes care of everything for you on a schedule that you pick.

 

Nothing more is needed IMO.

[asus killer]

 i'm still on 5.46, just blocked the .exe on the firewall. This is not rocket science folks 

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

14 minutes ago, asus killer said:

i'm still on 5.46, just blocked the .exe on the firewall. This is not rocket science folks 

Seeing as 5.46 is the latest version, you were updated.