They’re selling from your dashboard

  • After installing this on a couple dozen client websites, we noticed a little “Subscribe” box on the dashboard promising to speed up your WordPress site. We knew it wasn’t from us, so we did some checking and realized that this had been added by this plugin without our knowledge.

    We immediately installed and deleted all instances of this plugin.

    If you don’t want a third party company selling services to your clients, you may want to do the same.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Plugin Author Hardeep Asrani

    (@hardeepasrani)

    Hey there,

    It’s a subscribe box to subscribe to our newsletter. We don’t use it to sell anything. If you install WordPress SEO by Yoast, you will also get a similar subscribe box. Most plugins have it. We didn’t add it to sell to your clients, but for the users who install the plugin.

    Let me know your thoughts. ??

    Thread Starter thirdside

    (@thirdside)

    I have used Yoast for years and have never seen an anonymous “Subscribe” box on any of my sites’ dashboards. Even in places where Yoast (and other plugins) request user information, it’s clear what is being requested and why.

    Your “Subscribe” box, on the other hand, did not mention:
    – Who was asking for the information
    – Where the information was being used
    – What the user is subscribing to
    – The plugin that was responsible for the subscribe button

    There was also:
    – No privacy policy
    – No mention or reference to Safe Harbor policies required by the US and EU when soliciting personal information

    You’re can do whatever you want with your free plugin, but as a member of the WordPress community, it’s my responsibility to warn people away from anything I notice that may be dangerous.

    At best, this is poor design and planning. At worst, it’s deceptive and potentially malicious.

    Benhalsing

    (@benhalsing)

    something is wrong with this plugin, I leave blank my desbhoard

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • The topic ‘They’re selling from your dashboard’ is closed to new replies.