Manjaro is experimenting with **opt-out telemetry

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Status of Manjaro Telemetry Plan

  • Manjaro is testing a “Manjaro Data Donor” (MDD) system and debating opt-in vs opt-out.
  • A forum poll reportedly shows strong support for opt‑in; final policy is unclear.
  • Telemetry endpoint is metrics-api.manjaro.org; code is on GitHub.

Opt‑in vs Opt‑out and Consent

  • Strong view: telemetry must always be opt‑in; opt‑out is inherently non‑consensual and a “dark pattern.”
  • Counterview: opt‑in yields too little and biased data; opt‑out with clear disclosure and easy disabling is seen as an acceptable compromise by some.
  • Many argue that usefulness to developers does not override the need for explicit consent.

Privacy, Data Collected, and Network Concerns

  • Reported data includes hardware inventory, timezone, country, and even size of the home directory.
  • Some consider this modest and anonymous; others find hardware lists and disk usage inherently sensitive.
  • One camp says any unsolicited network connection is objectionable; another replies that systems already contact mirrors and other servers, so telemetry traffic is not fundamentally different.

Legal / GDPR Considerations

  • Multiple comments assert that opt‑out telemetry is not GDPR‑compliant; consent must be explicit and granular.
  • UK ICO guidance is cited against pre‑ticked or default-on collection.
  • Question raised why major vendors (e.g., Microsoft) get away with more invasive defaults.

Impact on Manjaro’s Reputation and User Choices

  • Some long‑time users/donors say this is a breaking point; donations canceled and migration to other distros planned.
  • Fear that Manjaro will be branded “spyware Arch,” undermining its appeal to privacy‑conscious users.
  • Others plan to stay but will block the telemetry domain and “watch for more shenanigans.”

Broader Telemetry Ethics and Developer Needs

  • Many emphasize that Linux is used specifically to avoid pervasive data collection; they reject “everyone else does it” arguments.
  • Others stress that anonymous usage stats are a crucial tool for improving software and are low‑risk if properly anonymized.
  • Recurrent theme: longstanding distrust due to industry abuse; users demand transparency, exact descriptions of collected fields, viewable payloads, and easy, first‑class opt‑out or (preferably) opt‑in.
  • A game‑dev subthread explores user‑visible dashboards, in‑game prompts after play sessions, and feature incentives as ways to make voluntary telemetry attractive.

Alternatives and Broader Ecosystem Discussion

  • Several suggest switching to Arch, EndeavourOS, Debian (with its opt‑in “popularity‑contest”), Void, Devuan, Alpine, or BSDs for those wanting minimal telemetry and maximum control.
  • Debate touches on whether free software should hold a higher privacy bar than proprietary systems (Apple, Windows); most here argue yes.