RealPlayer Gets Labeled Badware
A lot of users have called RealPlayer "badware," but mostly for performance reasons. All right, all right, we're being kind; there have been plenty of complaints over Real Networks' policies before.
StopBadware.org said Tuesday it has labeled two versions of the RealPlayer media player as "badware," or spyware.
RealPlayer 10.5, it claims, "fails to accurately and completely disclose the fact that it installs advertising software on the user's computer." And RealPlayer 11, it claims, "does not disclose the fact that it installs Rhapsody Player Engine software, and fails to remove this software when RealPlayer is uninstalled." Ryan Lukin, PR manager for RealNetworks, disputed some of the claims.
StopBadware.org said Tuesday it has labeled two versions of the RealPlayer media player as "badware," or spyware.
RealPlayer 10.5, it claims, "fails to accurately and completely disclose the fact that it installs advertising software on the user's computer." And RealPlayer 11, it claims, "does not disclose the fact that it installs Rhapsody Player Engine software, and fails to remove this software when RealPlayer is uninstalled." Ryan Lukin, PR manager for RealNetworks, disputed some of the claims.
Of course he's going to dispute the claims. It's surprising it took this long for someone to take them to task.
