Manipulation of users is one of these malicious functionalities. Here are examples of programs that are designed to do this by taking advantage of human psychology.

We have a special page for Addictive programs, which also take advantage of human psychology, but in a much more elaborate and dangerous way.

• 2023-09

  In an article from Mozilla, every car brand they researched has failed their privacy tests. Some car manufacturers explicitly mention that they collect data which includes “sexual activities” and “genetic information”. Not only collecting any of such data is a huge privacy violation in the first place, some companies assume drivers and passengers' consent before they get in the car. Notably, Tesla threatens that the car may be “inoperable” if the user opts out of data collection.

• 2022-08

  Tesla sells an add-on software feature that drivers are not allowed to use.

  This practice depends on a back door, which is unjust in itself. Asking users to buy something years in advance to avoid having to pay an even higher price later is manipulative.

• 2022-03

  The nonfree app “Along,” developed by a company controlled by Zuckerberg, leads students to reveal to their teacher personal information about themselves and their families. Conversations are recorded and the collected data sent to the company, which grants itself the right to sell it. See also Educational Malware App “Along”.

• 2022-02

  Honorlock set a network of fake test answer honeypot sites, tempting people to get exam answers, but that is a way to entrap students, so as to identify them and punish them, using nonfree JS code to identify them.

• 2021-07

  Advertising companies are experimenting to manipulate people's minds, and impose a new way of advertising by altering their dreams. This “targeted dream incubation” would trigger “refreshing dreams” of the product, according to the companies.

• 2021-06

  Peloton company which produces treadmills recently locked people out of basic features of people's treadmills by a software update. The company now asks people for a membership/subscription for what people already paid for.

  The software used in the treadmill is proprietary and probably includes back doors to force software updates. It teaches the lesson that if a product talks to external networks, you must expect it to take in new malware.

  Please note that the company behind this product said they are working to reverse the changes so people will no longer need subscription to use the locked feature.

  Apparently public anger made the company back down. If we want that to be our safety, we need to build up the anger against malicious features (and the proprietary software that is their entry path) to the point that even the most powerful companies don't dare.

• 2021-02

  The Prodigy maths game played in schools at no cost entices students to play it at home, where the company tries to lure them into paying for a premium subscription in exchange for mere cosmetic features that, at school, underline the socioeconomic gap between those who can afford it and those who can't.

  The strategy of using schools as a fishing pool for customers is a common practice traditionally adopted by nonfree software companies.

• 2020-07

  BMW is trying to lock certain features of its cars, and force people to pay to use part of the car they already bought. This is done through forced update of the car software via a radio-operated back door.

• 2019-05

  The Femm “fertility” app is secretly a tool for propaganda by natalist Christians. It spreads distrust for contraception.

  It snoops on users, too, as you must expect from nonfree programs.

• 2018-09

  Tiny Lab Productions, along with online ad businesses run by Google, Twitter and three other companies are facing a lawsuit for violating people's privacy by collecting their data from mobile games and handing over these data to other companies/advertisers.

• 2018-08

  Google will track people even if people turn off location history, using Google Maps, weather updates, and browser searches. Google basically uses any app activity to track people.

• 2013-08

  “Dark patterns” are user interfaces designed to mislead users, or make option settings hard to find.

  This allows a company such as Apple to say, “We allow users to turn this off” while ensuring that few will understand how to actually turn it off.