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by joshspankit 1049 days ago
A keylogger

1. records every keystroke

This is a new distinction to me. So a macOS program that can record everything except specific password fields (due to the OS protections) can’t be called a keylogger?

2. sends data to a third party for the benefit of that party

Again a weird distinction. Grammarly is a 3rd party to it’s users when they watch the interaction between those users and the web form they are using, and are they saying that they have no partnerships with other companies?

3. does so without the user’s knowledge

This might be the only one I agree with, but even then it’s with caveats. If I as an employer tell my employees that there is software installed to record every keystroke, does that exclude it from being called a keylogger? Probably not. If I do it regardless of informing them and do the same thing with the data, does it particularly matter whether they have knowledge of it? Morally I’d also say probably not.

Does it really “not fit any of these descriptions”? I’d say it does.

1 comments

It’s an argument tactic that works on people who need precompiled opinions.

Redefine something in a very qualified way that maneuvers around the issue and that a non-thinking person wouldn’t notice and then say “see! A =! B” and the non-thinking person accepts that new fact and is now accepting of your broader argument.

People who use grammarly are commoditizing themselves and they’re too dumb to notice.

Yeah, their argument is a bit ridiculous.

I use keyloggers on my own machines sometimes. I'm a first party, not third, and I've fully disclosed to myself that I'm using them. I've even obtained 100% informed consent for the activity.

But they're still keyloggers.