# Examples of large organizations using computer resources without users' consent

Cryptocurrency mining

- [2015-03 uTorrent has silently been installing Bitcoin mining software with its torrent downloader](https://web.archive.org/web/20170725164856/http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/utorrent-silently-installing-bundled-bitcoin-mining-software-2931825).
- [2021-12 Norton is installing Norton Crypto with its antivirus software, a crypto miner](https://web.archive.org/web/20211231181211/https://twitter.com/mAxius/status/1476968324672204801).
- [2022-06 NVIDIA inadequately disclosed that it makes a large amount of profit from crypto mining](https://web.archive.org/web/20220608182537/https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-79).

## AI training

- [2021-07 The source code for the licensed video game Quake was fully copied, including the swearing in the comments](https://web.archive.org/web/20210702090143/https://twitter.com/mitsuhiko/status/1410886329924194309).
- [2022-10 This developer's database code was directly cloned](https://web.archive.org/web/20221016164431/https://twitter.com/DocSparse/status/1581461734665367554).

However, the code isn't *strictly* pulling and reusing the information, and there is at least some curation involved:

- [2022-07 A programmer's use of the word "gender" made Copilot crash](https://web.archive.org/web/20220804023005/https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/20273).

Microsoft isn't finished, and will try to expand their services:

- [2023-03 GitHub Copilot will introduce a natural language AI conversation chatbot](https://web.archive.org/web/20230322140000/https://github.blog/2023-03-22-github-copilot-x-the-ai-powered-developer-experience/), as well as a few other projects like [voice chat](https://web.archive.org/web/20230322141716/https://githubnext.com/projects/copilot-voice/), [technical documentation](https://web.archive.org/web/20230322141654/https://githubnext.com/projects/copilot-for-docs), [pull requests](https://web.archive.org/web/20230322143224/https://githubnext.com/projects/copilot-for-pull-requests), and [shell commands](https://web.archive.org/web/20221110064621/https://githubnext.com/projects/copilot-cli/).

Other groups are keeping their options open for AI training as well:

- [2023-08 Zoom's terms of service now permit them to use the data for AI training, with no opt-out](https://web.archive.org/web/20230821152322/https://explore.zoom.us/en/terms/).
- [2023-09 X/Twitter's Terms of Service now permit them to use its posts for AI training](https://web.archive.org/web/20230909163103/https://stackdiary.com/x-can-now-use-posts-for-ai-training-as-per-terms-of-service/).