Re: At least on a Windows PC...
> there's a checkbox in the Java control panel, Advanced page/miscellaneous: "Suppress sponsor offers when installing or updating Java"
There wasn't in mine - it only appeared after upgrading from .39 to .40
And it appears unchecked.
But at least the updater didn't prompt me for anything. I'm currently running a scan for it just to be safe.
I'm guessing that perhaps they slipped the checkbox in sometime without actually changing the revision level. So those with the checkbox already get prompted for the malware, while those still without it just get the option installed silently (ready for next time).
I'm sure there's scope for an enterprising person with the wherewithall to go to the Police and report a crime under the misuse of computers act. I think it would be a hard case to make that the user has "given permission" by the action of not noticing this new option appearing down at the end of a long list of settings that the average user couldn't be expected to understand (let alone be fiddling with). Thus installing such malware would be interfering with the computer without the user's consent.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
