flash2“For a while Tuesday, Silicon Valley turned off its Flash. Mozilla’s Firefox and Google’s Chrome browsers blocked old versions Adobe’s  animation software—often used to play online videos—following news reports that hackers were using a security bug to take over peoples’ computers.” – MarketWatch.

The TeleRead take: Yes, it’s long past time to retire Flash. And if Adobe won’t do it,  ideally federal regulators of one kind or another can step in. Flash has become an embarrassment to the Internet industry. Sites should just say no and stop relying on a repeat security offender. Adobe’s Flash doesn’t set out to violate your privacy. But it’s certainly catnip for the bad guys who want to. Is there a legal way for Washington to compel Adobe to stop Flash development, given the technology’s disgraceful security record over the years? Flash is to computer software what the old Corvairs supposedly were to automobiles—a (information) highway hazard.

Longer version of MarketWatch story, from the Wall Street Journal: Here (not free link?).

Detail: Not everyone, it turns out, believes the Corvairs were as dangerous as alleged. But about Flash, there is far more agreement.

And a scary thought: What if the U.S. government won’t act because, among other things, our spy agencies want people to use vulnerable software so they’re easier to snoop on?

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