[Emendo]

> A software product could even "seek permission" from the vendor -- via the Internet or your modem -- each time it ran, so that the vendor would know whenever you started the program.

Now it is the norm.

[ReactiveJelly]

And better yet, whenever you complain about how invasive it is, someone will appear to take up page space to call you names for wanting things to be better.

[autoexec]

"everybody does it so who cares!" as if the fact that everyone is exploiting you somehow makes it acceptable.

[stjohnswarts]

Not just to check for license but also to upload all your activity for their AI to comb through :)