TurboTax 2002 C-Dilla NOT SPYWARE!

Macrovision never made C-Dilla with spyware. TurboTax has NO spyware.

What is spyware? Here are top Google links. http://www.spychecker.com/spyware.html says it is Internet jargon for advertising supported software. http://grc.com/optout.htm says it is software which employs a user's Internet connection in the background without their knowledge or explicit permission. http://www.cexx.org/adware.htm says ii us a generic term typically describing software whose purpose is to collect demographic and usage information from your computer.  http://review.zdnet.com/ says this hidden software transmits user information. http://www.lavasoft.com/ says it is code that allows developers to collect information about those using it. None of these sites puts TurboTax in this category. To the contrary, TaxCut from H&R Block is widely reported to sell user personal information so I believe we should really call it spyware.

TurboTax has extensive FAQs about TurboTax Product Activation at http://www.turbotaxsupport.com/. This site requires you to accept cookies to facilitate use. Tom Allanson, Intuit Senior VP of Consumer Tax, committed himself to looking into options as soon as I requested this. Here is an Intuit Privacy and C-Dilla link that does not make you accept these cookies.

I most respectfully submit Intuit is far too polite in debunking the bogus spyware claim.

TurboTax 2002 C-Dilla Activation can be done on the phone, with no confidential personal identification information. You can enter the number you get in the program using a computer never connected to the web, so it cannot transmit anything. This has no observed effect on program operation.

No packet monitoring software ever found Intuit improperly transmitting confidential personal identity information from any desktop program. There was one report of this in Quicken Lawyer. It said data included boiler plate forms (which made no sense). All other reports contradict this one for all Intuit programs.

TurboTax never transmits anything, unless you choose web activation or web services.

A while ago I was critical of Intuit privacy and created a web page on it. Within 2 hours after I sent it to Rich Walker, QuickBooks ProAdvisor manager, there was an hour long conference call between me, a VERY SICK Rich in Japan and the director of Intuit and QB privacy. Everything discussed then and since showed Intuit professional privacy professional knew about all privacy problem reports and proved them wrong or quickly found on solutions. For example, they quickly changed QuickBooks update software that did not encrypt transmissions. The also quickly dropped a third party ad that included Doubleclick software and required passwords to change web opt-out contact software. There were never user program data violations.

Intuit is subject to federal privacy laws, as are other Tax preparation software provider. Secret TurboTax data transmission is a criminal violation. Key Intuit employees are very familiar with these laws and would not dare violate them.

Millions of TurboTax Web and Quicken Online users have long trusted Intuit with all their confidential data. There has never been a report of this data being compromised.

Intuit is very protective of user information. Unlike competitor TaxCut, it does not sell this information. Those wanting to contact users do so by giving documents to Intuit, which only approves and sends it occasionally to opt-in users.

A confirmed deliberate privacy violation would be the best way to destroy Intuit and founder Scott Cook's $775 million investment in it. 

Do you think your personal information is worth that much to Scott?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are the http://www.turbotaxsupport.com/ comments (Copyright Intuit, reproduced with respect but not yet permission)

 

How does Product Activation protect customer privacy?

Intuit has an ongoing commitment to protect our customers' privacy. Privacy was a key consideration when implementing the Product Activation technology in TurboTax.

Intuit requires activation of the TurboTax federal product to ensure that use of the product is in accordance with the License Agreement. Product activation ties printing or filing via a single copy of the TurboTax federal product to a single computer, preventing unlicensed use of the product. Product activation is completely anonymous - no personal information is collected or transmitted to Intuit.

Activation occurs when there is an exchange of numeric codes between your computer (or telephone, if you choose this option) and Intuit. These codes are:

  1. Product Key: A unique number assigned to each copy of the TurboTax federal product (Your Product Key is printed on the back of your TurboTax federal product CD sleeve or product case, or on a sticker inside your product case).
  2. Request Code: A random number that is generated when you activate the TurboTax federal product.
  3. Activation Code: A number Intuit sends back to you to activate the product.

None of the codes contains personal information nor can they be used to identify personal information about you or characteristics about your computer configuration.

The Product Key and a Request Code are sent via secure Internet connection (or telephone, if you choose this option) to Intuit during product activation. The Product Key and Request Code are submitted together to an Intuit server, which issues an Activation Code that is sent back to your computer (or telephone, if you choose this option) so you can begin your return. Activation is completed either directly via the Internet, which takes less than a minute, or by dialing into an automated telephone activation system.

 

Is Intuit storing my product activation information?

Intuit's servers only stores the Product Key and a component of the Request Code, neither of which contain any personally identifiable information (nor can they be used to identify any characteristics of your computer's configuration). Product Activation is based on the exchange of numeric codes between your computer and Intuit so that your privacy is protected at all times.

 

When I register my product, what happens to the personal data I provide to Intuit?

Product Activation is completely separate from product registration. For customers who purchase a TurboTax product at retail, they may register their product by providing their name and contact information. Registration is for those customers who want to receive future communications on product updates and other special offers from Intuit. Any information provided to Intuit is used only for the purposes specified by the customer and it is never shared with or sold to third parties. Further, customers can state their preferences (opt outs) and designate if and how they would like to be contacted. All communication between the customer's PC and Intuit to register the product is done via a secure Internet connection. Personal information is protected from unauthorized distribution

 

About Macrovision SafeCast® Technology and C-Dilla

Intuit respects and protects customer information. We integrate privacy into everything we do. That is why privacy and security were key considerations when implementing the product activation technology in federal TurboTax for Windows desktop products for Tax Year 2002.

The Macrovision SafeCast® product activation technology used by Intuit installs files on your computer when you install TurboTax. These files serve as your product license; in addition, they also manage and protect that license. These files interact only with TurboTax and with each other. Macrovision SafeCast® does not gather any personally identifiable information. It does not examine, modify, or gather information about your computer, your computer's contents, or your activities or behavior, nor does it transmit any such information to Intuit, Macrovision, or any other party.

Frequently-asked questions:

Q1.  What does Macrovision SafeCast® do?

Macrovision SafeCast® enables software publishers to control the licensing and use of their software. Intuit uses Macrovision SafeCast® to ensure that only properly "activated" copies of TurboTax can be used in certain ways. During installation, TurboTax creates securely encrypted license files on your computer that contain user permission information. TurboTax then unlocks (decrypts) and examines those license files as needed.

Q2. What does Macrovision SafeCast® not do?

Macrovision SafeCast® does not:
  • Gather any personally identifiable information about you.
  • Examine, modify, or gather information about your computer, your computer's contents, or your activities or behavior, nor does it transmit any such information to Intuit, Macrovision, or any other party.
  • Scan or examine the contents of your computer's hard disk or other devices to gather information about your files or behavior.
  • Observe, track or record your behavior, such as which Web sites you visit, which CD-ROMs you use, which files you store on your computer's disk drives, etc.
  • Disable or limit the functions of any hardware or peripheral device (disk drive, CD reader, CD burner, etc.) on your computer.
  • Prevent or restrict Internet downloads or access to any Web sites.

Q3. Why does Macrovision SafeCast® install extra files on my computer when I install TurboTax?

Some of the files serve as your license to use TurboTax, while others manage that license (for example, allowing it to be activated and checking it for validity) or protect that license (for example, by insuring that only TurboTax can access the encrypted information). These files interact only with TurboTax and with each other. They do not examine, modify, or gather information about your computer, your computer's contents, or your activities or behavior, nor do they transmit any such information to Intuit, Macrovision, or any other party.

Q4. What is C-Dilla?

C-Dilla is a company that was acquired by Macrovision in 1999. Some of the Macrovision SafeCast® technology used in TurboTax is derived from earlier C-Dilla products.

Q5. What is "spyware"?

"Spyware" is jargon for hidden programs that transmit user information to others (usually advertisers) without the user's knowledge.

Q6. Did C-Dilla produce "spyware"?

No. All of the above statements concerning Macrovision technology apply equally to C-Dilla and its products.

Q7. How do I uninstall TurboTax 2002 and remove the associated Macrovision SafeCast® (C-Dilla) components from my computer?

To uninstall TurboTax 2002 and remove the associated SafeCast® (C-Dilla) components from your computer, follow the appropriate instructions for your operating system.

Important: Complete your tax return(s) and uninstall TurboTax 2002 before you run the SafeCast Uninstaller referenced in the instructions below.

Windows 95, Windows 98 or 98SE, or Windows Me:

  1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, choose Programs, choose TurboTax [version] 2002, and then choose Uninstall.
  2. Click Yes at the message "This will permanently remove this program from your computer. Are you sure that you wish to continue?"
  3. Click Yes To All in the Remove Shared File window, and then click OK.
  4. After TurboTax has been removed from your computer, run the SafeCast Uninstaller.
    Important: Make sure that you complete Steps 1 through 3 before you run the SafeCast Uninstaller.
  5. When finished, restart your computer.

Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP:

  1. Log on to your computer as an administrator using your administrator user name and password. (If necessary, refer to Windows Help for assistance.)
  2. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, choose Programs, choose TurboTax [version] 2002, and then choose Uninstall.
  3. Click Yes at the message "This will permanently remove this program from your computer. Are you sure that you wish to continue?"
  4. Click Yes To All in the Remove Shared File window, and then click OK.
  5. After TurboTax has been removed from your computer, run the SafeCast Uninstaller.
    Important: Make sure that you complete Steps 1 through 4 before you run the SafeCast Uninstaller.