uTorrent has gone rogue

[nosh]

I was surprised when I installed a recent OS X update and it hi-jacked two browsers without user consent. Some looking around showed that there were others complaining about malware too. I rolled back to an older version, warned whoever I could and vowed never to trust the company again.

And today, there's this little gem on TorrentFreak:

Many users of the popular BitTorrent client uTorrent are complaining about it silently installing a cryptocurrency miner with a recent update. The Epic Scale tool, which slows down host computers, is reportedly being installed without consent and for some is particularly hard to remove.

http://torrentfreak.com/utorrent-quietly-installs-riskware-bitcoin-miner-users-report-150306/

uTorrent had two things going for it: a no-nonsense, lightweight app and street cred among people like me who have used and loved the app for years. Looks like they traded both in for some $$$.

[mouser]

Thanks for taking the time to post this nosh.

[lanux128]

incidentally this was posted a few days ago.

The 4 Best Alternatives to uTorrent on Windows - http://www.howtogeek.com/197542/the-4-best-alternatives-to-utorrent-on-windows/

[nosh]

I'm glad they picked an older version of uTorrent as a viable alternative. It really was an amazing client, even on a mac where it has less features compared to its windows counterpart, though I can't remember what they are anymore since I haven't used it in years.

[Innuendo]

uTorrent had two things going for it: a no-nonsense, lightweight app and street cred among people like me who have used and loved the app for years. Looks like they traded both in for some $$$.

Ever since uTorrent was purchased by the not-totally-upstanding BitTorrent we've been waiting for the other shoe to drop. It finally has.

[app103]

I don't have a problem with a freeware app coming with a built in Bitcoin miner, provided the users are told about it up front and possibly offered a paid version without the miner, as another option.

[wraith808]

I don't have a problem with a freeware app coming with a built in Bitcoin miner, provided the users are told about it up front and possibly offered a paid version without the miner, as another option.

Depend on how they do it.  Telling you a miner will be installed- then using up your whole CPU to do so isn't kosher.

[rxantos]

I really despise the way developers add garbage to their applications and then make it so that the default is to install the garbage. This is a show of bad faith.

To all developers. I understand you got to eat, thus include garbage with your applications. But this is acting in bad faith. Please, make the default to NOT TO INSTALL the garbage instead of installing it. If a user wants to install the garbage it will do so.

The practice reminds me of banks when they change policies without you agreeing to them. They send you a letter telling you that if you do not respond you are agreeing to it. An act of bad faith. The default should be instead, if you do not respond, then you keep the same conditions that we agreed to when you signed.

[Innuendo]

Doesn't matter. BitTorrent was the premier torrent app...until the developer ruined it. Then uTorrent became the premier torrenet app....now the BitTorrent dev has bought it and ruined it, too.

Torrent apps are a dime a dozen. A new king will rise to claim the throne soon. While you wait for that to happen, check out qBittorrent. You might like what you see.

[TaoPhoenix]

uTorrent Too many applications (!!) had two things going for it: a no-nonsense, lightweight app and street cred among people like me who have used and loved the app for years. Looks like they traded both in for some $$$.

[TaoPhoenix]

I really despise the way developers add garbage to their applications and then make it so that the default is to install the garbage. This is a show of bad faith.

To all developers. I understand you got to eat, thus include garbage with your applications. But this is acting in bad faith. Please, make the default to NOT TO INSTALL the garbage instead of installing it. If a user wants to install the garbage it will do so.

The practice reminds me of banks when they change policies without you agreeing to them. They send you a letter telling you that if you do not respond you are agreeing to it. An act of bad faith. The default should be instead, if you do not respond, then you keep the same conditions that we agreed to when you signed.

I have often joked you could mashup a quick version of the legendary Minefield and just change it a bit so that at the end it says "Congrats! You just installed only the program you wanted and not all our garbage!!"