Mozilla CEO: Apple Auto-Installing Safari 3.1 "Borders on Malware" [Safari]

We reported yesterday that Apple was pushing Windows Safari 3.1 through Software Update, even if you didn't already have it installed. We thought it was a little odd, but we weren't pissed. Mozilla's CEO, on the other hand, well, check out this snip from this blog (which is currently kee-rashed):

Apple has made it incredibly easy—the default, even—for users to install ride along software that they didn't ask for, and maybe didn't want. This is wrong, and borders on malware distribution practices.

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

Oh, he don't stop there girlfriend:

It's wrong because it undermines the trust that we're all trying to build with users. Because it means that an update isn't just an update, but is maybe something more. Because it ultimately undermines the safety of users on the Web by eroding that relationship. It's a bad practice and should stop.

Personally, we think it's a little sneaky—we just usually just click OK when Software Update runs, so we almost got a big helping of Safari ourselves. 'Course, the browser wars just keep getting more cutthroat, so it's no wonder Mozilla's top rex is a bit cheesed Apple's trying to eat into it—you have to manually download Firefox, it's not slipped in your backdoor. [John Lilly's Blog via Apple Core]


More...