Bartender acquisition issues
The stealthy sale of Bartender, an exceptionally useful macOS utility, has raised concerns about privacy and security, given Bartender’s special security entitlements, a lack of transparency from the company that bought it, subsequent changes to the app, and general concern about the potential for malicious updates after software acquisitions.
Bartender app’s new owner has burnt years of good-will with a lack of transparency
Popular app Bartender was quietly bought, and a shady certificate replacement, insertion of invasive telemetry, and a lack of transparent responses by the new owners has shaken confidence in the Mac community
PSA: Bartender Mac App Under New Ownership, But Lack of Transparency Raises Concerns
Popular Mac app Bartender appears to have been quietly sold approximately two months ago, with neither the prior owner nor the current owner providing customers or potential customers with information on the sale. The transaction came to light after some Reddit users saw a warning from MacUpdater letting them know that the company behind Bartender had been silently replaced. MacUpdater warned users that updates to the app from version 5.0.52 could be potentially unsafe due to the lack of transparency surrounding the situation.
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Apps get bought all the time, and certificate shifts happen frequently. What is less common is the total lack of transparency by the buyer. The lack of a “goodbye” post from the original developer is unusual, but tied with the actions of the new owner, there are more questions than answers — and the answers that exist are hazy and not good for users.
At the moment, AppleInsider recommends that users either keep the 5.0.48 version that lacks the telemetry, until at the very least the new developer is more forthcoming. We are expecting a shift to a subscription model given the new owners’ modus operandi, and in-app purchase prices have already increased.
A New Chapter for Bartender
After the release of Bartender 5, I came to the realization that supporting all the users and maintaining the app at the high standard I expect and you deserve was too much for one person. It required a dedicated team that could provide continuous support, innovate, and keep up with the fast-evolving macOS landscape. This realization led me to make a difficult decision. Three months ago, I sold Bartender to Applause…
Link: macintouch.com
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ZDR's Take: I've used Bartender for years and have found it very useful for managing the macOS menu bar, so this is certainly a disturbing issue. Luckily I'm still using version 4 and did not upgrade to version 5, and I will continue to use version 4 it until it doesn't work.
In my next post (replying to this one) I'll highlight the other issue with past Mac malware as posted on the same MacInTouch page this story was linked on. |
