“Actors who are asking me to add some tracking code are mostly interested in reselling users’ data,” Anashkin said. “Actors who want to purchase it outright will stuff it with malware depending on their level of greed: hijacking affiliate links, tampering with search results, showing popups with shady websites, etc.”

Anashkin’s experience appears to be fairly common. Developers have discussed these solicitations in online forums and several have written blog posts about selling extensions or partnership offers.

  • My coworker had a liver transplant. The few months leading up to it, he was really really sketchy. He said a few things that came off like he was ready to sell company secrets to find some random backalley liver.

    Desperate life issues can lead to desperate decisions, like selling out. And it’s hard to even be mad in those circumstances.

    • @RivenRise@lemmy.world
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      231 year ago

      I wouldn’t blame them for selling out for less as much as it would suck for the people who use the product. If I had a family to take care of I would definitely sell out for a big check. Gotta take care of my own first.

      • @Llewellyn@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        It sounds fair, but only if we are talking about really important things under “take care of my family” and not another PS5 or a vacation.