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[mlaverdiere <1073114@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ubuntu "Online smart scopes" are identified as a privacy concern in this
UK Government Security Guidance report (currently advertised on
ubuntu.com front page!):
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/412828
/End_User_Devices_Guidance_-_Ubuntu_14_04_LTS.pdf

Here is the excerpt (p. 10)

By default Ubuntu has some features enabled which can be a privacy concern. To disable these
features take the following steps:
[...]
2.  To prevent what is typed into the Dash from triggering online searches, go to System Settings,
Privacy, Search, and set Include online results in Dash to disabled. Alternatively, online
scopes can be disabled by executing..."

So, again, the solution is simple, i.e. online smart scopes should be
Off by default.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1073114

Title:
  Online Smart Scopes  Do Not Respect User Privacy

Status in libunity package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in unity-lens-shopping package in Ubuntu:
  In Progress
Status in libunity source package in Quantal:
  Won't Fix
Status in unity-lens-shopping source package in Quantal:
  Won't Fix
Status in libunity source package in Raring:
  Won't Fix
Status in unity-lens-shopping source package in Raring:
  Won't Fix

Bug description:
  See this from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a well
  respected "international non-profit digital rights advocacy and legal
  organization" (as described on Wikipedia):
  https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/10/privacy-ubuntu-1210-amazon-ads-
  and-data-leaks

  Obviously, despite some improvements that have came late in the 12.10
  development cycle, there are still serious privacy concerns with the
  unity shopping lens.  To be more precise, here are the main problems
  to be fixed according to EFF:

  - Disable "Include online search results" by default.

  - Explain in detail what Canonical does with search queries and IP
  addresses, how long it stores them, and in what circumstances it gives
  them to third parties.

  - Make the Search Results tab of the Privacy settings let users toggle
  on and off specific online search results, as some users might want
  Amazon products in their search results, but never anything from
  Facebook.

  Here is another related bug:

   #1055952 Direct data leaking to Amazon:
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity-lens-
  shopping/+bug/1055952

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
  Package: unity-lens-shopping 6.8.0-0ubuntu1
  Uname: Linux 3.5.6-030506-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: wl
  ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu6
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Tue Oct 30 06:35:38 2012
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-02-12 (260 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot" - Release amd64 (20111012)
  MarkForUpload: True
  SourcePackage: unity-lens-shopping
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to quantal on 2012-09-28 (31 days ago)

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