uTorrent Update Installs Crypto Miner Without User Approval

uTorrent one of the most used torrent clients has come under fire for including a cryptocurrency mining application with out user approval. This left many finding the mining application sucking up all free CPU power and left many users completely quiting the application in protest against the company for installing third party applications with out user approval.

Highlighting many of the conflicts, the recent update brought in the Epic Scale Cryptocurrency miner. However to many this has come as unwelcome news and a bad move on uTorrents part. Even Though the miners can be uninstalled from the control panel, Windows users can find or delete the application in Add/Remove Programs and remove any residual files in C:ProgramDataEpicscale.” , the update has sparked outrage as users had no chance to opt out of the installation of the miner which was installed as a third party application. Resonating malware which installed miners onto unsuspecting computers which generated money for operators, the current situation has provoked outrage and has also force uTorrent to release the following statement clarifying the situation.

They are a cryptocurrency miner that uses a portion of your CPU cycles to contribute to the mining effort. In the future, Epic Scale plans to contribute CPU cycles to other initiatives, such as Genome mapping and other academic studies that require a great deal of processing power. A portion of the proceeds from this effort go to philanthropic initiatives. Please visit their site for more information.

The intentions of the miner have been applauded by many as the use of Bitcoin for charity has been highlighted by a number of corporations. Initially Humble INC have been the major players, accepting Bitcoin for charity donations whilst allowing customers to grab some games at ridiculous prices. THis site has remained as one of the most popular sites for the gaming community, simultaneously using Bitcoin as a payment method.

Whilst uTorrents intentions may have been good, many users have also brought to light that cryptocurrency mining applications are commonly unwanted as generally they use more electricity and are associated with hackers and other vermin attempting to make money of your system. However with the cryptocurrency mining application thought to be for the benefits of charities it is hoped that the application will be accepted by users of the new update. While many question the integrity of uTorrent, who have on many occasions mentioned third party applications should not be installed without user permission, this further highlights the importance of cryptocurrencies in a beneficial nature as they can help in countless industries for countless operations.

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Sources:  http://blog.utorrent.com/2015/03/06/regarding-partner-offers/