About the Privacy Notice Audacity versions 3.0.2 and earlier are not subject to the privacy notice below as they do not include networking features With this updated version of our privacy notice below (dated 28 August 2022), we (the Audacity Team) would like to outline the changes that will c
@cypnk i think people probably aren't going to put up with this nonsense.
i will happily put a couple dollars a month towards funding a viable community fork or similarly featured alternative. it's one of those pieces of software i don't need all that often, but when i do it's great to have it available.
@cypnk they collect basic system info,
plus whatever the fuck law enforcement wants?
wow, okay. thanks. glad my audio editor will just spy on me whenever the cops feel like it. that's where I needed that.
they also legally have to tell you that you can't use audacity if you're under 13, because they collect info on you. which is like. okay. guess that preteens aren't allowed to do basic computer things any more because they're not marketable any more
@clarfonthey I'm sure the age limit is to make the spying more "acceptable"
I heard back from a friend who said he's still using it for the time being, but might be on an air-gapped laptop. At this point, a fork is the only option since the folks in charge are hopeless
@cypnk it's not just about acceptability, in the US we probably have the most comprehensive privacy laws if you're under 13. you basically can't store content for anyone under 13 without heavy restrictions and guardian approval.
so, that's almost certainly why they have the clause there.
it makes perfect sense
• Data necessary for law enforcement, litigation and authorities’ requests (if any)
when you read the next line:
• Legitimate interest of WSM Group to defend its legal rights and interests
> [...] in compliance with the GDPR [...]
Yeah, the website literally has a cookie banner that does not comply with the GDPR - no simple "reject" button, and even in the "I want to opt out" menu, everything is selected by default (I believe that everything that isn't essential should be de-selected).
That does not inspire confidence.
Online safety when downloading Audacity Team takes online security very seriously and works hard to ensure the safety of our users, but our efforts can only be effective up to a point. For your online safety, it is important that you take reasonable precautions. The advice below is written specif
@scruss @cypnk Wow. “We might serve you malware links” is a new one I wasn’t expecting.
“The adverts are filtered to block ‘bad’ adverts, but occasionally a bad advert may slip through. A common form of “bad advert” is what we refer to as “the Big Green Button”, which is an advertisement that attempts to lure visitors to download unwanted software or malware.”
@uint8_t Possible, but that's a tricky endeavor without being more tech savvy than the typical Audacity user
Also, there's the Windows and Mac crowd
@loveisanalogue I'm not 100% sure of feature matching, but Ardour does some similar tasks with a number of plugins. But keep in mind it's a much more complicated program than MuseScore
ardour.org
@cypnk
bollocks!
thx for PSA
(won't update)
using compuers seems like a worse idea every day for people who want to be free
@cypnk uff…
> "The App we provide is not intended for individuals below the age of 13. If you are under 13 years old, please do not use the App."
So no more audacity in schools now. Who would have thought of anything useful kids under 13 could do with audio recording and editing software…
And all to to happily collect data from users.
@cypnk So I asked the question officially: https://github.com/audacity/audacity/issues/1213#issuecomment-873615759
And I already know the unofficial answer "No worries, children will use it anyway" and it's true. Children will use it anyway. And the privacy policy only exists to satisfy the lawyers. Just like facebook or tiktok or twitter. I expect more from free software…
It might also be a sign, that there is no sense in providing privacy policies that can simply exclude children.
@polyplacophora Audacity is in a Goldilocks zone for usability and functionality that's very hard to match. There are more powerful alternatives which are usually proprietary and/or are meant for different roles (like proper digital audio workstations). The rest are just too limited
I'm taking a wait and see approach and won't be updating my copy. Maybe they'll reverse course or someone will make a fork
@cypnk
Doesn't this violate the GPLv2?
The GPL says:
"You may not impose any further restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein."
Requiring the user to be 13 or older is an additional restriction, is it not?
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