Earlier this year, Intel, one of the top microprocessor manufacturers in the world, was accused, via a class-action lawsuit, of wiretapping people who visit its website through keystroke and mouse movement tracking. The lawsuit has now moved up from Florida state court to the federal district court of Orlando giving Intel customers, which comprises almost anyone who owns a PC/Laptop, much to worry about.
The lawsuit against Intel refers to Florida state law which prohibits the “interception and disclosure of wire, oral, or electronic communications.” It was brought to the notice of the Florida court by Holly Londers, who claims that at least one dozen visits to the website furnished potential “tracking, recording, and/or ‘session replay’ software” which was used to “intercept use and interaction with the website.”
Although, no software has been specified in the lawsuit, an attorney involved in the case hinted to The Register that Clicktale (now a subsidiary of Contentsquare) is believed to be the third party company involved.
While having a lawsuit thrown at you is quite the red flag by itself, Intel’s privacy statement on its site doesn’t help their case very much either. The statement clearly outlines that user information is collected from primary as well as third-party sources. In regards to third-party sources, Intel affirms that
“We might also obtain information through a partner, or co-create datasets with a partner, as part of our business operations.”
Intel
So, being wary of Intel is not completely unfounded.
While one can say that Intel is “innocent until proven guilty”, this development poses serious ramifications for all those who use Intel products on the regular. Tapping of daily drivers like PCs, laptops, and smartphones increases their vulnerability which makes them prone to leaking confidential data like passwords, bank account info, and more.
It should also be noted that this is not the first lawsuit that has come the company’s way in the recent past. Not only has Intel been accused of unlawful business operations against competitor AMD, they’ve also fielded allegations of ageism, evading taxes, and excessive pollution.
Hopefully, Intel’s newly unveiled Meteor Lake chips are a more secure bet but who knows. If you’re curious to read the wiretapping lawsuit, you can check out it’s PDF here.
About Intel
Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, in Silicon Valley. It is the world’s largest semiconductor chip manufacturer on the basis of revenue, and is the developer of the x86 series of microprocessors – the processors found in most personal computers (PCs).
Incorporated in Delaware, Intel ranked No. 46 in the 2018 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.
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