http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_Computing
Trusted Computing (also abbreviated TC) is a technology developed and
promoted by the Trusted Computing Group. The term is taken from the
field of trusted systems and has a specialized meaning. With Trusted
Computing the computer will consistently behave in specific ways, and
those behaviors will be enforced by hardware and software. Enforcing
this Trusted behavior is achieved by loading the hardware with a
unique ID and unique master key and denying even the owner of a
computer knowledge and control of their own master key. Trusted
Computing is extremely controversial as the hardware is not merely
secured for the owner; enforcing Trusted behavior means it is secured
against the owner as well.
Who should your computer take its orders from? Most people think their
computers should obey them, not obey someone else. With a plan they
call “trusted computing”, large media cor****ations (including the
movie companies and record companies), together with computer
companies such as Microsoft and Intel, are planning to make your
computer obey them instead of you. (Microsoft's version of this scheme
is called “Palladium”.) Proprietary programs have included malicious
features before, but this plan would make it universal.
www.gnu.org/philosophy/can-you-trust.html Can You Trust Your
Computer?
Proprietary software means, fundamentally, that you don't control what
it does; you can't study the source code, or change it. It's not
surprising that clever businessmen find ways to use their control to
put you at a disadvantage. Microsoft has done this several times: one
version of Windows was designed to re****t to Microsoft all the
software on your hard disk; a recent “security” upgrade in Windows
Media Player required users to agree to new restrictions. But
Microsoft is not alone: the KaZaa music-sharing software is designed
so that KaZaa's business partner can rent out the use of your computer
to their clients. These malicious features are often secret, but even
once you know about them it is hard to remove them, since you don't
have the source code.
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