Yesterday, GitLab retracted its earlier decision to implement user level product usage tracking on their websites after receiving negative feedback from its users.
Hello! We've heard the feedback and are reconsidering our decision on this. Right now any movement on this has been halted and our TOS rolled back. More discussion around it can be found here: https://t.co/yNJxrQ9Nth
— GitLab (@gitlab) October 24, 2019
Two days ago, GitLab informed its users that starting from its next yet to be released version (version 12.4), there would be an addition of Javascript snippets in GitLab.com (GitLab’s SaaS offering) and GitLab’s proprietary Self-Managed packages (Starter, Premium, and Ultimate) websites. These Java snippets will be used to interact with GitLab and other third-party SaaS telemetry services.
GitLab.com users were specifically notified that until they accept the new service terms condition, their access to the web interface and API will be blocked. This meant that users with integration to the API will experience a brief pause of service, until the new terms are accepted by signing in to the web interface. The self-managed users, on the other hand, were apprised that they can continue to use the free software GitLab Core without any changes.
The DevOps coding platform says that SaaS telemetry products are important tools to understand the analytics on user behaviour inside web-based applications. According to the company, these additional user information will help in increasing their website speed and also enrich user experience.
“GitLab has a lot of features, and a lot of users, and it is time that we use telemetry to get the data we need for our product managers to improve the experience,” stated the official blog. The telemetry tools will use JavaScript snippets that will be executed in the user’s browser and will send the user information back to the telemetry service.
Read More: GitLab faces backlash from users over performance degradation issues tied to redis latency
The company had also assured users that they will disclose all the whereabouts of the user information in the privacy policy. They also ensured that the third-party telemetry service will have data protection standards equivalent to their own standard and will also aim for their SOC2 compliance.
If any user does not wish to be tracked, they can turn on the Do Not Track (DNT) mechanism in their GitLab.com or GitLab Self-Managed web browser. The DNT mechanism will not load the the JavaScript snippet. “The only downside to this is that users may also not get the benefit of in-app messaging or guides that some third-party telemetry tools have that would require the JavaScript snippet,” added the official blog.
Following this announcement, GitLab received loads of negative feedback from users.
Any recommendations for a good SaaS issue tracker/bug reporter?
(not gitlab, b/c telemetry)
(not github, b/c ICE)?
— Andy Hunt (@PragmaticAndy) October 24, 2019
Hey @gitlab,
are you serious to start including an user tracker in both your public https://t.co/QmzNjW9Fm3 hosting AND in all (non open-source) customers' installations?
This is a serious blow to user privacy.#gitlab
— Cr0ydon (@Cr0ydon) October 24, 2019
what happens if you give too much vc money to people? they sell out to 3rd party tracking non-sense. i feel like the male-shit-up marketing industry hasn’t heard the shot. @gitlab officially peaked. downhill from now on i guess. @dhh pic.twitter.com/XQXf54PXZv
— BlindMyStare (@BlindMyStare) October 24, 2019
@gitlab Bye forever! A few more weeks and I'd have bought into Enterprise, but now, screw it. You 100% don't need telemetry to "make GitLab better faster," and we don't need GitLab.
— Chance (@TheChanceSays) October 23, 2019
Although, GitLab has rolled backed the Telemetry service changes for now, and are re-considering their decision, many users are warning them to drop the idea completely.
Nice to see @gitlab actually listen to the backlash and roll back the changes regarding the telemetry so far. However, as their update mentions, they are rethinking their approach to this same idea. Keep an eye on upcoming changes that bring this back in any manner.
— atom0s (@atom0s) October 24, 2019
@gitlab I strongly suggest you take the community’s feedback seriously and drop all plans to add telemetry to GitLab. You’ve already done unrepairable damage to your reputation, and for now I will no longer recommend GitLab to others.
— Ryan Rule-Hoffman (@ry60003333) October 25, 2019
https://t.co/zd7qVC1rgV
Gitlab tried to backdoor its product with nasty telemetry à la windows 10, but as we can see users don't want to be ripped of from their data. Privacy invasion is an unacceptable behavior that should be opt-…https://t.co/A0jazxdv91 https://t.co/zbJf3VH4H1— tresronours cybersec (@tresronours) October 25, 2019
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