Lexmark accused of installing spyware
Published: 11 Nov 2004 17:05 GMT
Allegations have been swirling around an online newsgroup this week that printer manufacturer Lexmark has been installing spyware on its customers' computers.
Reports on the comp.periphs.printers Usenet newsgroup claim that Lexmark has been planting spyware on its customers' PCs in the form of undocumented software that monitors the use of its printers and silently reports back to a Lexmark-owned company Web site.
One user said that after initially denying the allegations, Lexmark acknowledged installing tracking software that reported printer and cartridge use back to the company for survey purposes. He claimed that Lexmark said no personal data was taken by the program, and that it was impossible to identify anyone by it.
However, users installing the software are prompted to fill in a registration form including their name and the serial number of the product.
The newsgroup posting claims that the program, found on the X5250 installation software, embeds itself in the registry and monitors the use of the printer through DLL files in the c:\program_files\lexmark500 folder.
The program sends the information, which includes print and scanning data, to the URL www.lxkcc1.com. According to the Internet Whois database, this domain name belongs to Lexmark International in Kentucky.
Lexmark's UK office has not responded to repeated requests for comment.
Whose fault is it all anyway? Rupert Goodwins looks at the issues in more depth here.
Did you find this article useful?
195 out of 330 people found this useful
Digg
Slashdot
Del.ici.ous
Stumble
Reddit
Full Talkback thread
16 comments
-
If this is true, we should all boycott Lexmark pro... John Sims -
Why would anyone buy Lexmark in the first pla... Jesusmailhellion -
Considering their business practices of late, why... Anonymous
-
Time to set www.lxkcc1.com. to 127.0.0.1 in the ho... Anonymous
-
I uninstalled my Lexmark printer and software a lo... Doug Wing
-
Lexmark Drivers are pure evil to the OS espec... Guy
-
Well its just a shame that everytime I'v... Blake -
Welcome to reality! This is nothing new to the com... Anonymous
-
If I'm not mistaken the last time I installed Lexm... Thomas Meeker
-
HP has had their own version of "spyware" out ther... Anonymous
-
You define spyware in an odd way then, don't you?... Anonymous
-
Wow, big deal. Kodak photo printers have obviously... Anonymous
-
For the truth visit:
http://www.lexmark.com/unco... Anonymous
-
goodbye lexmark, i always knew there was something... Cowiciide
-
I have the lexmark spyware( purchase a 7000 series... Anonymous
-
I do not have the problems now where Lexmark can s... Anonymous
