384.6 Now sharing data to Trend Micro?

[Enzo]

I noticed a number of things upon loading latest 384.6 (RT-AC3200) FirmWare with regard to privacy and more.

Please read, consider, discuss and help drive/demand greater safeguards consumer protections and users privacy. Thank You!

I'm becoming more and more wary of data sharing. Many say to turn off "AiProtection" services like IPS because TrendMicro (TM) now sees what your router sees, i.e. not a stand alone applet in router and not a one-way pull of threat definitions from TM to router but rather a two-way share of who knows what with TM.

The new policy says using any of these allows them to collect data from your router...
*AiProtection
*Traffic Analyzer
*Apps analyzer
*Adaptive QoS. !!!
*Game boost
*Game IPS
*Web history

The Administration/Privacy screen briefly explains the above and offers two links below for users to learn more about what is collected and how it is used:
1. TrendMicro Privacy Policy
2. Privacy and Personal Data Collection Disclosure
Sadly (as of today), the Data Collection Disclosure doesn't disclose how ASUS router app data is collected. fail

Third Party Apps/Adv Features usage from TM in a router is borderline acceptable in this new era of data sharing expectations, however QoS?

So now I'm forced to turn of "Adaptive QoS" and use "Manual QoS" to sustain some privacy/reduce snooping, and in doing so (wouldn't you know it) now HW acceleration is disabled as well.

So this now has me thinking of my original agreement of purchase.
*Was it disclosed/advertised that in order to use the many features that I justified to be worth the nearly $300 (1st yr of release) I paid that I would have to also/eventually share my private data/transmissions?
*Or disable the features/cripple my purchase/investment as the only means to Opt-Out?

Merlin is an awesome enhanced FM version! and I understand the spirit of this project. However if I'm forced to move to another firmware with more controls over modules (i.e. TM = off), can anyone refer me to other options? I can't seem to find any support with the usual suspects, i.e. DD-WRT for RT-AC3200.

For background/greater awareness, look up "Dark Pattern", new term for privacy deception and customer steering to get users to knowingly and unknowingly share data more freely.

An increasingly and concerned human w or w/o rights,

Enzo

 

[FreshJR]

It has been sharing data since day1. They are simply presenting the EULA again and are making it more accessible from the WebUI due to some new transparency laws in the EU.

So this is nothing new they are springing on you.

In prior firmware, you had to accept the EULA when you first turned on the feature, and it would stay enabled until the router was reset to defaults with the "initialize to factory defaults" button.

Feel free to regain more control via

"etc/hosts"

 

[Enzo]

Thanks @FreshJR ,

Yes I understand there has been a GDPR re-state/re-broadcast of EULA/PriPolicies WW on or before May 25ish.

I don't recall there being initial agreements from BOTH ASUS and TrendMicro and I think the issue here is beyond initial notice date/method and springing on users but rather the spin and deceit of transparency and usage, both initially and as a moving target.

It's more like Feature/HW usage extortion, scope creep as to what is at risk and slower performance with opt-out.

 

[Treadler]

I noticed a number of things upon loading latest 384.6 (RT-AC3200) FirmWare with regard to privacy and more.

Please read, consider, discuss and help drive/demand greater safeguards consumer protections and users privacy. Thank You!

I'm becoming more and more wary of data sharing. Many say to turn off "AiProtection" services like IPS because TrendMicro (TM) now sees what your router sees, i.e. not a stand alone applet in router and not a one-way pull of threat definitions from TM to router but rather a two-way share of who knows what with TM.

The new policy says using any of these allows them to collect data from your router...
*AiProtection
*Traffic Analyzer
*Apps analyzer
*Adaptive QoS. !!!
*Game boost
*Game IPS
*Web history

The Administration/Privacy screen briefly explains the above and offers two links below for users to learn more about what is collected and how it is used:
1. TrendMicro Privacy Policy
2. Privacy and Personal Data Collection Disclosure
Sadly (as of today), the Data Collection Disclosure doesn't disclose how ASUS router app data is collected. fail

Third Party Apps/Adv Features usage from TM in a router is borderline acceptable in this new era of data sharing expectations, however QoS?

So now I'm forced to turn of "Adaptive QoS" and use "Manual QoS" to sustain some privacy/reduce snooping, and in doing so (wouldn't you know it) now HW acceleration is disabled as well.

So this now has me thinking of my original agreement of purchase.
*Was it disclosed/advertised that in order to use the many features that I justified to be worth the nearly $300 (1st yr of release) I paid that I would have to also/eventually share my private data/transmissions?
*Or disable the features/cripple my purchase/investment as the only means to Opt-Out?

Merlin is an awesome enhanced FM version! and I understand the spirit of this project. However if I'm forced to move to another firmware with more controls over modules (i.e. TM = off), can anyone refer me to other options? I can't seem to find any support with the usual suspects, i.e. DD-WRT for RT-AC3200.

For background/greater awareness, look up "Dark Pattern", new term for privacy deception and customer steering to get users to knowingly and unknowingly share data more freely.

An increasingly and concerned human w or w/o rights,

Enzo

Was ever thus, agreement to EULA asked for as part of originally setting up our AiProtect enabled routers.
The option to accept, or reject, was always there as I remember?
If reject, yup, the TrendMicro stuff doesn’t work.

Later, with GPDR, the EULA stuff became more detailed. The end result is the same though.

The way I see it, if we want true privacy, we shouldn’t use the internet.
ISP (& or VPN provider, & or DNS server provider), already knows what we’re doing. TrendMicro just one more to trust (or not), & in return get security monitoring?

 

[skeal]

Well said @Treadler when privacy outweighs security then it's time to unplug. There is freedom found in security friends. We all need to trust someone. Haven't heard Trend Micro in the news for selling our information. Seriously!

 

[AndreiV]

Enzo, nobody is forcing you to do anything , nothing has changed with your router other than the legal requirements of GDPR.

The EULA and TrendMicro information have always been there from day one, just search the forum , people queried this years back.

Trend Micro would likely only record data for "prevented events" , they couldn't cope with all the raw data from millions of routers .

AiProtection is used on business systems around the world, if corporations can trust their data do you really have anything to worry about?

Antivirus products and Microsoft collect data 24/7 .

Use a bank card /PayPal/payment service .... shop online , your data is shared every day.............

 

[Vasilyj]

I've never had a dialog like this about enabling main functions of the AC-88U gives full access to my browser history including full GET requests and my private sessions, including my sensitive firm activities. (I can effectively send a whole country back to the dark middleage if someone hacks into Trend-Micro and somehow reaches my online activity or sniffs my firm sessions back., that's why I opted for the most expensive safe routers.)
Never means never at original firmware and never prior 384.x on Merlin's firmware.

How can I block this data sending to Trend-Micro?
Will you make an option to block it by router's firewall, or describe the manual actions?

 

[Treadler]

I've never had a dialog like this about enabling main functions of the AC-88U gives full access to my browser history including full GET requests and my private sessions, including my sensitive firm activities. (I can effectively send a whole country back to the dark middleage if someone hacks into Trend-Micro and somehow reaches my online activity or sniffs my firm sessions back., that's why I opted for the most expensive safe routers.)
Never means never at original firmware and never prior 384.x on Merlin's firmware.

How can I block this data sending to Trend-Micro?
Will you make an option to block it by router's firewall, or describe the manual actions?

See message #2, #4, & #6.
Nothing has changed, you can turn it off if you want.

 

[Vexira]

So protection needs to check for threats against a data base, I hope it would use the telemetry date to improve the detection of my games and app traffic for adaptive QoS.

 

[Sinner]

I would assume theyre using the data to improve all of the ai features including protection and possibly improving qos as well

 

[telUK]

*AiProtection
*Traffic Analyzer
*Apps analyzer
*Adaptive QoS. !!!
*Game boost
*Game IPS
*Web history

I don't think I have any of these enabled unless some are on by default, I'm quite security conscious though and have always wondered if I'm best turning AiProtection on, really unsure about this feature, is it resource heavy at all?
Is it something I can just enable and forget about, and let it do it's thing.

 

[Sinner]

*AiProtection
*Traffic Analyzer
*Apps analyzer
*Adaptive QoS. !!!
*Game boost
*Game IPS
*Web history

I don't think I have any of these enabled unless some are on by default, I'm quite security conscious though and have always wondered if I'm best turning AiProtection on, really unsure about this feature, is it resource heavy at all?
Is it something I can just enable and forget about, and let it do it's thing.

ive done only small testing but the ai protection doesn't appear to use any more cpu than when having adaptive qos enabled but uses maybe 20mb more memory but it does catch quite a lot including those popup websites about your system having virus etc that u have to end task on your browser to get rid of. game boost I don't think is actually a feature, it just turns adaptive qos on and puts the gaming category at the top I believe.

 

[telUK]

ive done only small testing but the ai protection doesn't appear to use any more cpu than when having adaptive qos enabled but uses maybe 20mb more memory but it does catch quite a lot including those popup websites about your system having virus etc that u have to end task on your browser to get rid of. game boost I don't think is actually a feature, it just turns adaptive qos on and puts the gaming category at the top I believe.

Thanks, I may try out AiProtection then.

 

[HowIFix]

How can I block this data sending to Trend-Micro?
Will you make an option to block it by router's firewall, or describe the manual actions?

Before there was a thread about how to use Trend Micro feature but block everything about sharing data, but the thread was deleted and the creator of that thread was banned.

So protection needs to check for threats against a data base, I hope it would use the telemetry date to improve the detection of my games and app traffic for adaptive QoS.

They do not care if you play or have lag, Adaptive QoS since it came out was a complete disaster and still a disaster.

Then it was useless to share your data with TrendMicro, about the "family" pages that you visited or the "legal programs" you searched for by google, etc.

The only person you have to thanks is @FreshJR, Only his script was able to solve the problems that Adaptive QoS has had since its launch.

Enzo, nobody is forcing you to do anything , nothing has changed with your router other than the legal requirements of GDPR.

The EULA and TrendMicro information have always been there from day one, just search the forum , people queried this years back.

Trend Micro would likely only record data for "prevented events" , they couldn't cope with all the raw data from millions of routers .

AiProtection is used on business systems around the world, if corporations can trust their data do you really have anything to worry about?

Antivirus products and Microsoft collect data 24/7 .

Use a bank card /PayPal/payment service .... shop online , your data is shared every day.............

You haven't thought about why this Trend Micro service is free, just like Facebook is free and how this page makes money...

Data collection is a round business.

So do not defend with a sword the company that makes money thanks to your data.

You lose your privacy in exchange for security, that incoherence.

 

[HowIFix]

I am 99% sure when they take out their new router, they will come with an update of Adaptive QoS v2, AiMesh v2, etc and only those routers will have that upgrade, to force us to buy them, at this moment we are the laboratory rats for their next projects.

This world only moves thanks to the god mammon (money)

 

[skeal]

*AiProtection
*Traffic Analyzer
*Apps analyzer
*Adaptive QoS. !!!
*Game boost
*Game IPS
*Web history

I don't think I have any of these enabled unless some are on by default, I'm quite security conscious though and have always wondered if I'm best turning AiProtection on, really unsure about this feature, is it resource heavy at all?
Is it something I can just enable and forget about, and let it do it's thing.

Trend Micro is a leader in internet security. They are always catching exploits and exposing them. They don't rely on their agreement with Asus to make their money. To think otherwise is ridiculous at best. Read up on the company a little before comparing to likes of Facebook.

 

[skeal]

I am 99% sure when they take out their new router, they will come with an update of Adaptive QoS v2, AiMesh v2, etc and only those routers will have that upgrade, to force us to buy them, at this moment we are the laboratory rats for their next projects.

This world only moves thanks to the god mammon (money)

In the future possible subscription charges. But even so it's a good system to have integrated in your router. Security is a multi-layer approach not a guarantee.

 

[HowIFix]

You have the right to entrust your privacy to any person or company.

• Data Collection Disclosure | Trend Micro
• Privacy Policy Product | Trend Micro

Information and personal data for using and interacting with Trend Micro’s products and services

You provide the following types of information and personal data when you use and interact with our products and services, including customer support. The specific information and personal data that you provide will depend on the particular product or services used. Providing these types of information and personal data enables you to participate, share and leverage Trend Micro’s global database of threat related intelligence to rapidly identify and defend against potential threats within your unique network environment, as described in more detail below as well as enabling us to provide support that you request.

• Product information, such as MAC address, device ID,
• Public IP address of the user’s gateway to the Internet
• Mobile/PC environment
• Metadata from suspicious executable files
• URLs, Domains and IP addresses of websites visited
• Metadata of client/device managed by gateway product
• Application behaviors
• Customer behavior [See Hedwig]
• Information from suspicious e-mail, including sender and receiver email address, and attachments
• Detected malicious file information
• Detected malicious network connection information
• Debug Logs
• Network Architecture/Topology
• Screen capture of errors

If you do not want to provide personal data to Trend Micro, please refer to your product documentation for further details on how to disable those features that collect and send feedback to Trend Micro, if applicable.


How does Trend Micro use the data that you provide to us?

We may use information that you provide to us for other business purposes, including:

• Internal record keeping
• Compliance with the law and requests from government bodies
• Product and service development
• Keeping you informed about our products, services and promotions
• Provide customer support, manage subscriptions, and respond to requests, questions, and comments
• All the personal data stated above are necessary to enter into the contract with Trend Micro and to use Trend Micro’s products and services so that you are obliged to provide such personal data, otherwise, we can neither perform our contract with you nor provide our products and services to you.

 

[JWoo]

Your router is the last point of defense in the home network. I think everyone expects to have data mining at the end points, but not at the router. We should support the person who posted this and not argue about it. The whole benefit of open source software is to have software free of exactly this sort of data invasion.

 

[AndreiV]

You haven't thought about why this Trend Micro service is free, just like Facebook is free and how this page makes money...

Data collection is a round business.

So do not defend with a sword the company that makes money thanks to your data.

You lose your privacy in exchange for security, that incoherence.

Really ?
You need to stop your hysterical trolling and READ what Enzo wrote.
He claims that Trend Micro are suddenly collecting data and that the EULA/Privacy agreement has changed , it hasn't it was there from day one.
You have a simple choice, use the service or not.
Nobody is forcing you to use AiProtection , it is a CHOICE.
Trend Micro are not gathering any more data than your ISP/OS/antivirus or the sites you visit.
You need to wake up to the fact that if you use the internet there is no real privacy.
IF you are so terrified of data collection I suggest you throw away any bank cards you have, stop writing in forums, lose your mobile phone, bin your computers , disconnect 100% from the internet and live in a cave in Tibet.
I will gladly sell you several large rolls of tin foil so you can make a nice shiny hat