RealPlayer by RealNetworks is a popular alternative to Apple’s QuickTime and Windows Media Player.
We find that RealPlayer 10.5 is badware because it fails to accurately and completely disclose the fact that it installs advertising software on the user’s computer. We additionally find that RealPlayer 11 is badware because it does not disclose the fact that it installs Rhapsody Player Engine software, and fails to remove this software when RealPlayer is uninstalled.
We currently recommend that users do not install the versions of RealPlayer that we tested, unless the user is comfortable with the software behaviors we identify or until the application is updated to be consistent with the recommendations in this report.
This alert represents StopBadware’s findings during our initial testing period. Additional badware behaviors that were not initially detected may exist in the application.
http://www.stopbadware.org/pdfs/realplayer_press_release.pdf
Expect to see further developments.
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