MuseScore sending user data to ad networks?

• May 10, 2021 - 21:20

I am starting to get worried. I must say it began with that I didn't have a comfortable feeling when ultimate-guitar took over MuseScore in 2017. In the meantime both UG and MuseScore belong to this new "Muse Group" as does also Audacity.

While reading about the new pull request for telemetry in Audacity (which includes sending data to Google and Yandex with a UUID and IP adress) I stumbled across this:

https://github.com/audacity/audacity/pull/835#issuecomment-836168146

Quote: "The fact is, that they currently send data from Musescore users to ad networks."

Could someone please comment on this? Is it true at all? If so, what "ad networks" specifically? I start getting worried which direction Musescore (or rather its "owners") is heading to. Telemetry is one thing (I know this already implemented in Musescore), sending data from users to Google and Yandex is a different quality (if true). This is not what I expect from FOSS.

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• May 11, 2021 - 08:06

MuseSecores telemetry can get switched off entirely (and is off by default)
What does cause additional connections to google and yandex is the Web part of the start center. That too can get switched of (but is on by default). No idea whether these are (used as) ad networks, or 'just' collecting stats though, no idea what data it sends. but is basically is a website that's being used there, which should not have a access to a UUID for example, but will have an IP adress for sure, same as if you open https://musescore.com directly in a browser.

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• May 11, 2021 - 09:22

So it's worse than I expected. I had hoped to get an answer debunking this Google and Yandex business as not true.

But what I learned so far is:

1.:
A part of the software itself sends my data to Google and Yandex. (And yes: I know I can turn telemetry off but that's not the point.) I see telemetry – with all its potential problems – as legitimate if it's clearly communicated (what data is collected and sent where and no automatic opt-in) and purely to help the developers to make the software better.

But the fact that a part of it (start center as Jojo says) sends my data to Google and Yandex is... well, how to put it....I feel disappointed. No: I am sad and angry. Who decided this?

2.:
Next thing I learned is, using the link provided by Shoichi ( https://themarkup.org/blacklight ), that on the website musescore.org (not musescore.com, mind you, no, this very site here) there were three trackers found, detecting "scripts belonging to the companies Yandex LLC and Alphabet, Inc." (Alphabet=Google). Also three third-party cookies including a cookie set for Alphabet, Inc.. Also I learn that "This website could be monitoring your keystrokes and mouse clicks" and to top it off "This site allows Google Analytics to follow you across the internet".

Great...

As a comparison I tested another website from the FOSS world - ubuntuusers.de (which hosts i.a. the biggest German Ubuntu help forum) - there was nothing found by the "Blacklight Inspection". Zero. Compare that to musescore.

Am I the only one offended by this?

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• May 14, 2021 - 16:14

Virtually all websites collect analytics via Google etc. Not sure why you'd expect the MuseScore website - or the portion of it embedded into the Start Center - to be any different in this respect. Misrepresenting the simple collection of analytics as "sending user data to ad networks" is far more objectionable.

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