His issue is not with the autoupdate, but with the closed source nature of everything it downloads. Antivirus programs have numerous times caught and considered actual system files as virii. With no way of looking into the source for those binaries, there's no way to be sure that the program wasn't right. (note, this is just my tin hat speaking, I hate windows for completely different reasons)
Open source is inherently safer, due to the fact that you can examine the source, and see what it's actually doing.
I agree it is - my qualm is not with open source (as I've said I have released my own small open source software before), but with the way in which he is presenting it. His insinuations are dishonest at best and self-serving at worst.
and people know this, and are scared of it. look at facebook, people are crying and screaming about privacy issues.
but they don't know what microsoft or apple can do with their computers. people are just ignoring/unknowing the fact that they can have access to their computers.
on this forum some people are paranoid that the governements or corporations are gonna rape them in the ass, but they still use windows or mac, not knowing what they can do if they like.
open source are not suspicious, you can read the source, and verify that it is not malicious. you can't do that with closed source.
You've probably read my reply to myrkul - it also applies to this post. It is illegal to install malicious software on a machine or otherwise gain unnecessary access without the owner's consent - this is usually through a EULA or some other terms of use agreement. As a result, you can, under the protection of law (at least in the US) feel reasonably comfortable that any corporation is going to think twice...or three or four times before abusing their trust. Moreover, even without the laws protecting you, the backlash against the company would be enormous and would hurt them financially. It should go without saying that it would be a very poor business decision if the abuse were ever to come to light.