Today I rebooted my computer after a Windows Update and got a dialog box saying that a new version of Adobe Flash Player was available, asking me if I wanted to upgrade.
I clicked "Yes" at which it took me to Adobe's Flash Player site and had me download an executable. After downloading the executable I double clicked it to begin the install. A dialog box opened up informing me that Adobe Flash Player was being installed. The same box had a second progress bar below the Adobe Flash Player install progress bar. This second bar was for some McAfee security product. There was never any prompt to ask me if I wanted the McAfee program installed. There was no check box to turn off its installation.
This was a completely automatic process from the point of double clicking the install file downloaded from Adobe - never pausing for any input from me until the installation of both Adobe Flash Player and the McAfee security product was complete.
I find it harder and harder to hold back my growing hatred of Adobe. I was among the earliest users of Photoshop and have always cheered on this company, stuck with it through various iterations of Photoshop, learned to love several other outstanding products from them including Illustrator, After Effects and Premiere, which I also frequently use.
But they are destroying all that goodwill they created by the shady practice of bundling malware like McAfee products with an essential upgrade to Adobe Flash Player. If I want to maintain security (of this otherwise very insecure product, Adobe Flash Player, I am required to update it to the most recent version. But doing so installs products like McAfee which I did not ask for and do not want on my computer, without my permission.
If there is anyone from Adobe reading this, please desist. Do not treat your customers like scum. Do not install software on their computers without their permission. This is a bad business practice and is destroying your brand, which has got to be worth more than however many pennies McAfee pays you to bundle their malware.
Thank you.
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