Tags: Badware, Google, Google Pack, RealNetworks, RealPlayer, Rhapsody Player Engine, StopBadware, StopBadware.org

StopBadware.org label RealPlayer as Badware!

StopBadware.org has now labeled two versions of the RealPlayer media player software as badware applications.

They claim that these two editions inadequately disclose “advertising behaviors”. In addition, the latest edition of the software goes ahead and installs Rhapsody Player Engine without notifying the user.

StopBadware added in its statement on this new development: “The advertising software bundled with RealPlayer is misleadingly called a ‘message center,’ and is described incompletely and inconspicuously in the EULA as software designed to provide useful software updates. When RealPlayer 10.5 is installed, the advertising features of this ‘message center’ are enabled by default for users who choose not to register their personal information with RealNetworks after the software is installed.”

RealNetworks responded in its own statement on these claims: “We’re really transparent about what we’re installing on someone’s machine.”

The funny thing is that StopBadware is backed by the search engine giant Google. And Google delivers RealPlayer through their Google Pack software package.

Checkout:
StopBadware.org
RealPlayer
Google Pack