Pioneering CEO of Real Networks steps down - and some say 'good riddance'
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Rob Glaser, the controversial head of Real Networks, stepped down from his position last week amid comment from all corners of the tech world, but critics say that not enough accounts mention Glaser's record of spreading intrusive software.
Tom Foremski, writing at ZDNet, says that Real Player harms network security by exploiting open internet architecture and web browsers, and has been doing so for far longer than the current generation of malware. Foremski says that his first experience with Real Player was a dozen years ago.
Tracking website stopbadware.org reports that the current version of Real Player "fails to adequately disclose the advertising behavior of its 'Message Center,' and … silently installs the Rhapsody Player Engine, and does not uninstall this additional software when [it] is uninstalled." The site also says that Real Player's EULA is "misleading."
A broad class of software exists in this sort of in-between security classification, experts say, usually acquiring the label "grayware." While not actively malicious, grayware tends to be difficult to uninstall, unnecessarily intrusive, or otherwise deceptive to the user.
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