Ubuntu Will Now Have Amazon Ads

[el chapulín]

This is not about a web browser coming with optional search engines, this is the UI which is also used to search for local files/programs, sending every query in plain text to Amazon unless (it's disabled).

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1054282

Obviously Unity / the "HUD" was designed with this kind of thing in mind - convince users they should be typing stuff in, instead of clicking on things - capture that data = $$$$

People excuse it with "oh well they need to make money, FOSS can't survive etc..." well it seems to have survived very well so far without Mr Shuttleworth's business model...

[nelz]

That bug relates to a different, and quite valid, concern. Sending search queries to search engines seems to be a reasonable default, and it is only a default not a forced setting.

More importantly, the only place ads are mentioned is in the subject of this thread. Dash is returning shopping results, just like Google does.

[el chapulín]

That bug relates to a different, and quite valid, concern. Sending search queries to search engines seems to be a reasonable default, and it is only a default not a forced setting.

The bug relates to the new shopping lens - it's the same issue.

More importantly, the only place ads are mentioned is in the subject of this thread. Dash is returning shopping results, just like Google does.

While not technically advertising this is data mining - and google's search results include ads by the way...

[nelz]

The bug relates to the new shopping lens - it's the same issue.

Eh? It's a completely different issue that affects the same component. The bug make no mention of data mining or adverts, it is about potentially inappropriate content being returns, which could be the case with any search facility.

While not technically advertising this is data mining - and google's search results include ads by the way...

Data mining is an important issue, but the complaint was about ads, which was based on a false assumption. As you say, Google's search results already include ads, and Google are hardly novices when it comes to data mining, so why is the addition of Amazon to the list of search resources used such a bad thing?

"I'm happy to give Google all sorts of information about me but don't tell Amazon anything" is hardly a sensible attitude.

[Jimmers]

I came across this article, and it worked for me, I run Ubuntu 12.10 on a flash drive.

How to Disable Amazon Ads and Data Leaks

You can uninstall Dash's Amazon integration by removing the package called unity-lens-shopping from your computer. Ubuntu 12.10, you can uninstall it by opening the Terminal app and typing: sudo apt-get remove unity-lens-shopping.
I also think that it maybe in the Software Centre

Just my few Penneth worth.