i mean that as in, being able to enter my accounts without even using my password or without installing any virus in my computer. thank you!!

  • BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    Most people consider any sort of “thing installed or running on my computer against my knowledge doing bad stuff” to be a virus.

    That’s why the OP said “installing any virus in my computer”

    • zeppo@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      A virus is specifically malware that automatically spreads to other devices. It’s similar to a worm. They tend to spread surreptitiously using vulnerabilities or design flaws. To me that’s quite different than installing a shady browser plugin, and imo it’s better to use the term malware to make it clear privacy violating browser extensions are something people unfortunately choose to install, unlike a virus.

      • BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        A lot of the shady browser extensions don’t start shady, they get bought from the original creators and updated into something malicious.

        Either way, your average non-technical person couldn’t tell you the difference, so it hardly matters.

        • zeppo@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          That’s true, but it’s still not a virus and I’m not going to use an inaccurate term just because other people don’t understand the distinction.