[Info] Banned/Unavailable Applications

[FluffyPunk]

This discussion will be a list of applications that won't be added to WinUtil via their unavailability or violating policy of WinUtil apps' list. You can write down more apps that are not that obvious, so list will be extended later

• RustDesk: Was removed in Removed RustDesk from applications.json #4584 due to being flagged and removed in Remove version: RustDesk.RustDesk version 1.3.6 microsoft/winget-pkgs#352114
• Lightshot: Will get removed due to violation of data security(data stored on private servers and has no moderation, so that can lead to data leaks; also devs are russian company that has some shady background which also leads to lower reputation)
• Opera GX: Considered blacklisted, too bloated as for a browser
• Brave Origin: Paid software, WinUtil has "Brave debloat" tweak which creates similar experience
• yt-dlp: too niche as standalone app, rarely used in Windows
• EmulationStation: afaik it is abandoned
• any AI slop is prohibited(so no ChatGPT, Claude Code, Ollama etc)
• any antivirus(really, mate, you don't like Windows Defender?)
• any 3rd-party hosted public VPN that has any shady backstory

[obrientg]

Great summary there @FluffyPunk - and agreed.

Though I am surprised that Mullvad's VPN is now added, with all the news they have put themselves into as of late:
https://markwrites.io/mullvad-and-daniel-berntssons-failed-cleanup/
https://www.flyingpenguin.com/mullvad-vpn-circles-the-drain-on-nazism-with-anti-privacy-pr/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonMail/comments/1uivm45/mullvad_founder_unveiled_as_biggest_funder_of/
https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyFromEU/comments/1v2gyuc/mullvads_cofounder_funded_72_of_a_swedish/

I certainly would not use them as a VPN; your risk tolerance may be different than mine though. But in a similar vein as the issues around Lightshot listed above, should it be included when there are other alternatives that are not working against us?

[FluffyPunk]

Welp, yeah, I would consider any public VPN a threat. If you want to have secure internet, better rent a VPS from trusted provider and host Amnezia server there. Or just use Tor, known thing, trusted protocol with years